Israeli authorities have released Mays Abu Ghosh, a 22-year-old Palestinian journalism student at Birzeit University, after family members paid her 600$ fine.
Abu Ghosh was arrested in August 2019 for "communicating with an enemy [Hezbollah]" through a conference she took part in with the Palestinian political party that advocates for the return of stolen Palestinian land, and for being a member of the Democratic Progressive Student Pole despite the group being banned by Israel's military.
Abu Ghosh was released on Tuesday from Damon prison north of the illegally occupied West Bank city of Jenin. She was received by family and friends.
According to human rights groups in Palestine, Abu Ghosh was physically and psychologically tortured for over a month by guards at the Maskobiyeh interrogation centre in Jerusalem.
Human rights groups said guards threatened to leave Abu Ghosh paralyzed and mentally broken. She was slapped repeatedly while Israeli soldiers shouted profanity at her and was forced to listen to the cries and screams of other prisoners being interrogated.
“The military prosecution charged Abu Ghosh over acts related to her student union activities at the university in addition to her media action,” said Addameer, a prisoner rights group official. “Such a practice demonstrates the occupation authorities’ criminalization of fundamental human rights through military orders.”
Abu Ghosh's family is no stranger to persecution by Israeli forces. In January 2016, Abu Ghosh's older brother was killed by Israeli soldiers for allegedly carrying out a stabbing attack. Israeli forces responded by killing Hussein Ghosh then raiding and demolishing his family's home.
By: Niza Nondo
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