Israeli occupation authorities acknowledged that Palestinian prisoner Thaer Abu Asab who died in Israeli jail last month was beaten to death by 19 prison guards, Israeli media reported on Thursday.
After a gag order on the incident has expired, a publication of Abu Asab’s death has only just now been allowed, according to The Jerusalem Post.
Abu Asab, 38 and from the northern West Bank city of Qalqilya, was beaten to death in his cell by a group of guards; he died of his wounds within hours of the beating, the Israeli daily reported.
It added that “as part of the investigation, nineteen guards have been detained for questioning on suspicion of assault and causing injury.”
For its part, Israel Hayom newspaper said that Abu Assab, whose death was declared on November 18, underwent an autopsy that confirmed that he had been assaulted and beaten, which caused his death.
According to Israeli Haaretz 19 Israeli prison guards participated in beating to death the Palestinian prisoner Thaer Abu Asab who was declared dead by prison authorities last November. pic.twitter.com/gVXRNsVpXI
— Mustafa Barghouti @Mustafa_Barghouti (@MustafaBarghou1) December 21, 2023
The so-called Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, expressed his support for the prison guards. The extremist minister claimed the occupation guards were “innocent until proven otherwise,” as he opposed charging anyone of them in the killing of Abu Assab who was held in.
The Prisoners and Ex-Prisoners Affairs Commission had previously confirmed that the occupation authorities had assassinated Abu Assab, who was held at the so-called Ketziot Prison in the Naqab (Negev) Desert. He had been detained since May 27, 2005, and was sentenced to 25 years in prison.
It accused the Israeli Prison Service (IPS) of carrying out systematic and premeditated assassinations against the prisoners.
Source: Israeli and Palestinian media
