His Excellency Isaac Herzog,
President of the State of Israel,
The President’s Residence,
3 HaNasi Street,
23rd December 2022 Jerusalem, Israel.
Regarding Ahmad Manasra, aged 20. Currently held in Beersheva prison
Dear Mr. President,
.
We, the undersigned medical practitioners, are writing to ask you to urgently intervene in the case of Ahmad Manasra, who has been held in Israeli prisons since his arrest in 2015 at the age of thirteen. We are deeply shocked by the violent and unlawful treatment this young man has been subjected to for the past seven years by the Israeli judicial system, including the manner of his arrest, his illegal interrogation without lawyers or family present, his long periods held in solitary confinement and, now that he has served two thirds of his sentence, the refusal of the courts to even consider the weighty medical and psychiatric evidence which argues for his early release on compassionate and health grounds.
Ahmad Manasra was arrested at the age of 13, for being armed with a knife in the company of his cousin Hassan aged seventeen, who allegedly stabbed and seriously injured a thirteen year old Jewish Israeli boy. Hassan was killed on the spot. Ahmad suffered a skull fracture, having been hit by a car and was severely mistreated by the mob surrounding him. He was later seen being handcuffed in an Intensive Care Unit whilst in an induced coma. He was detained in a closed institution for criminal youths, and then transferred to another prison. A video, accessed by local and international media showed an interrogator bullying and insulting the terrified young prisoner who was completely alone and unrepresented. Ahmad at thirteen year old had not reached the age of criminal responsibility; yet his trial was delayed until he was fourteen years old. He was sentenced to twelve years in prison (subsequently reduced to nine years). It is important to emphasise that the judge at his trial recognised that Ahmad did not participate in any attack on a Jewish civilian.
During his lengthy imprisonment Ahmad Manasra has been deprived of visits from his parents and other relatives. He has been held in solitary confinement which is illegal under international law in the case of minors. All medical and psychiatric experts agree that solitary confinement has devastating and sometimes irrecoverable impacts on the neuro- development and mental health of adolescents. Under international law, solitary confinement for more than fourteen days is considered torture. The Israeli court has recently imposed a further four months of solitary confinement on the basis of ‘secret evidence’. Ahmad’s mental health has progressively deteriorated to the point that he is delusional and suicidal. His condition is worsening but, instead of considering the compelling psychiatric evidence that he can only be effectively treated in a psychiatric facility separate from a prison service, the courts have retrospectively applied anti-terrorist laws to his case, enabling them to refuse to even consider the application for early release to which he would otherwise be entitled. We find it hard to understand the cruelty and vindictiveness that these decisions appear to reveal.
There has been a powerful international campaign for the release of this young man. His case has been taken up by Amnesty International, by the UN Special Rapporteur and questions have been put to UK Government Ministers by Members of Parliament. All of this has been to no avail. We now turn to you.
We join our efforts with all those who have denounced these practices which are unworthy of a government purporting to abide by the rule of law. We ask you to urgently intervene to ensure that Ahmad Manasra is immediately freed and released to the care of his family and to the health professionals who can treat him.
We look forward to your response
Yours sincerely
Dr Derek Summerfield
Full list of signatories attached:
Prof. Dr. Eia Asen, M.D., FRCPsych, Anna Freud National Centre for Children and Families University College London
Dr Ragnhild Aarrestad, Psychiatrist, Norway
Dr Diab Ahmed Hamid Aburish, PhD, General Director of the Palestine Center for Community Mental Health
Dr Hasanen Al –Taiar, Consultant Forensic Psychiatrist; Vice Chair RCPsych South Eastern Division; Chair of the South of England MHA Approvals Panel
Dr Mustafa Alachkar, Consultant Psychiatrist, UK
Dr Osman Ali, MRCGP, Gough Walk GP Practice
Dr Norbert Andersch, Consultant Psychiatrist, Italy
Dr Swee Ang, MBBS, MSc, FRCS, Consultant orthopaedic Surgeon, London, UK
Dr Jackie Applebee, MBBS, BSc, FRCGP, Tredegar Practice, London
Mr Nadeem Ashraf MD FRCS
Consultant Laparoscopic, General and Colorectal Surgeon
Basildon University Hospital
Dr Luce Bardagi, Physical Rehabilitation Specialist, St Blancard, France
Dr Hadi Bedran
Consultant Anaesthetist, Enfield
Dr Trude Bennett, Dr PH, Associate Prof. Emerita, UNC Chapel Hill School of Pubic Health, USA
Dr Elizabeth C. Berger, MD, Associate Clinical Professor, George Washington University School of Medicine, USA
Dr Richard Bischoff, Paediatrician, Germany
Dr Frank Boyce, Physician, Canada
Dr Patrick Bracken, Consultant Psychiatrist, Eire
Dr Tamar Lydia Brown, Centre Hospitalier de Montfavet, Avignon, France
Dr Dorothy Burlage, PhD,
Dr Tim Calton, Consultant Psychiatrist, UK
Dr Maria Canete, Consultant Psychotherapist and Group Analyst
Dr Filiz Capar, General Practitioner, Barkantine Practice, London
Sir Iain Chalmers, MD, DSc., James Lind Library, Oxford
Dr Martine Charlery, Psychiatrist, Angers, France
Dr David Church, MB, ChB, T, General Practitioner, Wales
Dr Miles Clapham, Consultant Psychiatrist, UK
Dr Alan Cooklin, MB, ChB, FRC Psych,
Dr Jack Czauderna MB.ChB. Retired Family Doctor
Dr Nadia Taysir Dabbagh, MBBS, BSc, MSc, PhD, FRCPsych, CCT, Consultant Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist, UK
Mr Rhodri Daniel BSc(Hons), FRCS(Ed), DO RCS(Lon), FRCOphth.
Dr S E Daniel BSc(Hons), MD, FRCPath.
Dr Veena deSouza, MBBChir, FFPH,
Dr James Deutsch, University of Toronto, Canada
Dr Moira Dick, Consultant Paediatrician (retired), London
Dr Hosnieh Djafari-Marbini, MB, BChir, MCEM, FRCA, Anaesthetic Consultant, Oxford University Hospitals
Dr Flavia Donati, Specialist in Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Rome, Italy
Dr Mike Downham, BA, BCh, MRCP, DHC,
Dr Gary Duffield, MBChB, MRCPsych,
Dr Katrin Edelman, Consultant Psychiatrist, UK
Dr Morry El-Badry, MD, Rochester, New Hampshire, USA
Dr Kamilla El-Farra, Consultant Gynaecologist, UK
Sir Terence English, KBE, FRCP, FRCS, Cardiothoracic Transplant surgeon; Former President of the Royal College of Surgeons (retired)
Lady Judith English, MB, BChir, MRCP, FRCPsych, Consultant Psychiatrist; Former Chief of Staff, Boston VA Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA (retired)
Dr Ruth Erskine, D. Clin. Psych, QiCN, AFBPS, CQSW, (BA, BSc), Consultant Clinical Psychologist & Paediatric Neuropsychologist, London
Dr Arturo Ezquerro, Consultant Psychiatrist and Group Analyst
Dr Premila Fade, MB BS, MA, FRCP, Consultant Physician, Southern Health Foundation Trust
Dr Suman Fernando, Consultant Psychiatrist, UK
Dr Ann Finkelstein, MD, MPH, La Clinica de la Raza, Vallejo, California
Dr Brian Fisher, MBBCh, MSc, MBE, London
Dr Jonathan Fluxman MRCGP (retired GP)
Dr Tim Fox, BSc, MB, BS, MRCP, Member of the British Psychotherapy Foundation, UK
Dr P.H. Gasser, Psychiatrist, Uzes, France
Dr Tom Gilberthorpe, Consultant Psychiatrist, UK
Dr John Gleisner, FRCPsych, FRANZCPsych, (retired)
Dr Yves Glock, MD, PhD, Member of the European Board of cardiovascularand thoracic Surgery. Former Head of the Department of CV Surgery, University Hospital Rangueil, Toulouse, France
Dr Anya Gopfert, MBBS, BSChons, MSc Oxon, MFPH,
Dr Michael Gopfert, MD, formallyFRCPsych,
Prof Peter Gotzsche, Physician and Researcher, Denmark
Dr Elizabeth Greenhall, MB,BS , FFPH. Retired consultant in Public Health, Oxfordshire
Professor Colin Green, B. Vet. Med; PhD (Med); DSc (Med); FRC Path; FRCS England
(Hon). Royal Free Hospital, University College London
Dr Marta Guttenberg, MD, Philadelphia, USA
Dr David Halpin, Consultant Surgeon, UK
Dr Dougal Hargreaves, MA, MSc, FRCPCH, MD(Res), Imperial College, London
Dr Ben Hart, General Practitioner, Crisp Street Health Centre, London
Dr Deirdre Haslam, Chelmsford, Essex
Dr Rukyya Hassan, MBChB, MSc, MRCPsych,
Dr Richard Horton, Editor, The Lancet, UK
Prof Sushrut Jadhav, University College, London, UK
Dr Bob Johnson, Consultant Psychiatrist, UK
Dr Lynne Jones, OBE, Consultant Child Psychiatrist, UK
Dr Francois Journet, Psychiatrist, Villefontaine, France
Prof Jon Jureidini, University of Adelaide, Australia
Dr Ghada Karmi, Physician and Academic
Dr Lynne Kavin, LCSW,
Dr Ian Kerr, Consultant Psychiatrist, New Zealand
Dr Gaby G Kevorkian, MD, Old City, Jerusalem
Dr Asad Khan, Consultant Physician, UK
Dr Rajiv Khushu, Psychiatrist, Halifax, UK
Dr Abha Khushu, Senior Reg, Paediatrics, London, UK
Dr David Kirby, MA, MB, BChir, MSc, MRCP, MRCGP, General Practitioner (retired)
Dr Emmanuel Kosadinos, Psychiatrist, Marseilles, France
Dr Sebastian Kraemer, FRCP, FRCPsych, FRCPCH, Hon Consultant, Tavistock and Portman NHS Trust
Dr Vicky Lavy, MB, BCh, MRCGP, Retired
Dr Dianne Lefevre, Consultant psychiatrist, UK
Dr Anna Livingstone, MA, MSc, DipLSHTM, MB BS, FRCGP,DrCOG, DCH, DFSRH, London
Dr Ann Lorek, Consultant Paediatrician, London
Dr Sally MacLennan, MB BS, DO,
Dr Neil MacLennan, MB BS, MRCGP, DCH, DCROG,
Dr Brooke Maddux, MD, MPhil, Psychiatrist, France
Prof Paola Manduca, Prof of Genetics, Italy
Dr Mona Mange MD Xavier Clinic,Tulsa OK USA
Dr Ruchama Marton, Founder of Physicians for Human Rights, Israel
Dr Rebecca Mather, BM, BCh, FRCPsych,
Dr Rob Mather, BM, BCh, FRCGP,
Prof Klim McPherson, PhD, FMed Sci,
Dr Tess McPherson, MA, MBBS, FRCP, MD,
Dr Claire Mestre, Psychiatrist and Anthropolist, CHU, Bordeaux, France, Association Ethnotopies
Dr Alan Meyers, MD, MPH, Emeritus Professor of Pediatrics, Boston University School of Medicine, USA
Prof Steven Miles, Prof Emeritus of Medicine and Bioethics, UK
Dr Pedro Molina,
Dr Ann Morris, MB, ChB, Member of the British Psychotherapy Foundation, London, UK
Dr Jan Willem Mulder, MD, PhD, Consultant Physician, Amsterdam, The Netherlands (retired)
Dr Loretta Mussi, MD,
Dr Mudasir Nazir, Academic Fellow, UK
Dr Julia Nelki, MA Oxon, MBChB, formally FRCPsych,
Dr Golda Ninan, MB, BCh, MRCGP,
Dr Anne Noonan, Psychiatrist, Australia
Dr Kingsley Norton, Consultant Psychiatrist, UK
Dr Brendan O’Brien, MB DCH. Retired General Practitioner, Edmonton, London
Dr Peadar O’Grady, Consultant Child Psychiatrist, Eire
Dr Tony O’Sullivan, MRCP, DCH, Consultant Paediatrician (retired)
Dr Tomasz Piercionek, Consultant Psychiatrist, UK
Dr Pino Pini, Psychiatrist, Italy
Dr Elinor Price MB BS MRCGP
Dr John W. L. Puntis, BM(Hons), DM, FRCP, FRCPCH, Consultant Paediatrician, Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, UK (Retired)
Dr Cheryl Qamar, LCSWR, Hudson Valley, New York,USA
Dr Michael Radford, Consultant Psychiatrist, UK
Dr Saroop Raja, UK
Dr Nicholas Rose, MB, ChB, FRCPsych,
Dr Alice Rothschild, MD,
Dr Rachel Rubin, MD, MPH, Chicago, USA
Prof Andrew Samuels, DHL, Former Chair UK Council for Psychotherapy
Dr Benedetto Saraceno, Ornex, France
Prof Lara Sheehi, PsyD, George Washington University, USA
Prof Stephen Sheehi, PhD, William and Mary College, USA
Dr Gillian Shepherd, UK
Dr Ann Marisa Silverman, FRCPsych,
Dr Philip Smith, UK
Dr Cecile Spieser, Psychiatrist, France
Dr Peter Sporn,MD Chicago, Illinois
Dr Derek Summerfield, BSC(Hons), MBBS, MRCPsych, Kings College, London, UK
Dr Gabriel Symons, UK
Dr Philip Thomas, MPhil, DPM, FRCPsych, MD, Consultant Psychiatrist (retired)
Dr Jane Thomas, MB, ChB, MRCPsych,
Prof Sami Timimi, Consultant Child Psychiatrist, UK
BaronessDr Jenny Tonge, House of Lords, UK
Dr Christine van Duuren, Member of the British Psychotherapy Foundation London, UK (retired)
Dr Maria van Hove, MD, MSc, MFPH,
Dr Sebastiao Viola, Consultant Psychiatrist, UK
Dr Athena Viscusi, LICSW, Washington DC
Dr Rivka Warshawsky, Clinical Psychologist, Jaffa, Israel
Dr Petra Wempe, General Practitioner, Amsterdam, The Netherlands (retired)
Dr Judith Whale, MRCPsych, UK
Dr Cathy Wield, Specialist Physician, UK
Dr James H Williams, PhD, MSW, Tacoma, Washington, USA
Dr Richard Williams, General Practitioner (retired), London
Dr Pam Wortley, MBBS, MRCGP, General Practitioner (retired)
Dr Bernadette Wren, C Psychol, MSc Syst Psych,
Dr Venetia Young, General Practitioner, UK
