Ahmad Manasra, a Palestinian who was arrested at the age of 13, has been released from prison after more than nine years. 

Manasra’s lawyer, Khaled Zabarqa, confirmed that he was freed on Thursday after completing a nine-and-a-half-year sentence.

Ahmad, now 23, is from occupied East Jerusalem. 

In 2015, he was with his cousin Hassan Manasra during an incident where two Israelis were stabbed near the illegal Pisgat Ze’ev settlement. Hassan, who was 15, was shot and killed by an Israeli, while Ahmad was badly beaten by a group of Israelis and hit by a car, leaving him with serious injuries including a fractured skull.

Although Ahmad did not stab anyone, he was charged with attempted murder and later convicted. The court recognized he did not carry out the attack himself but sentenced him based on his presence during the event.

During his time in prison, Ahmad developed serious mental health issues. 

He was often held in solitary confinement and, according to his family and lawyer, he showed signs of paranoia, had trouble sleeping, and even tried to harm himself. He was sometimes moved to a prison psychiatric unit where he was given medication.

In late 2021, a doctor from Doctors Without Borders was allowed to examine him. The doctor diagnosed him with schizophrenia and warned that continued imprisonment could cause permanent harm.

Despite several appeals for his early release due to his age and mental condition, Israeli courts rejected them, citing his conviction under terrorism laws. At the time of his arrest, the law was changed to allow children as young as 12 to be tried for terrorist offenses.

When he was released, Ahmad was reportedly let go in a remote area near Beersheba without informing his family. 

A local resident found him and helped contact his relatives. He has since been reunited with his parents.

Human rights groups, including Amnesty International, welcomed his release. Heba Morayef, a regional director at Amnesty, said the release was a relief but added that the suffering Ahmad went through cannot be undone.

BDST: 1247 HRS, April 11, 2025
MSK