441-01380 (Foreign affairs)

Whereas:

• Israeli occupation forces arrested Ahmad Manasra when he was only 13 years old, on October 12, 2015: "Despite being found by the [Israeli] courts not to have participated in the stabbings [against two Israeli settlers], he was convicted of attempted murder in 2016 in proceedings marred by allegations of torture, and despite the fact that he was below the minimum age of criminal responsibility at the time" (Amnesty International, 2022);
• "Ahmad was hit by a car and sustained serious head injuries while an Israeli crowd jeered at him" (UN, 2022);
• "Following his arrest, video footage, widely circulated on media, showed young, distressed Ahmad being harshly treated and severely interrogated without the presence of his parents or legal representative" (UN, 2022);
• Israel held Ahmad in solitary confinement since November 2021, "in violation of the absolute prohibition of torture and other cruel, inhumane or degrading treatment or punishment" (Amnesty International, 2022);
• Ahmad has become suicidal and been diagnosed with schizophrenia (Amnesty International, 2022). According to his dad, his mental health is deteriorating everyday;
• Both UN (2022) human rights experts and Amnesty International (2022) called for Ahmad Manasra's immediate release from Israeli jail;
• Israeli occupation forces raided Ahmad's family home, stealing cash and gold on February 17, 2023; and
• Israel prolonged Ahmad's solitary confinement, on March 13, 2023, for another 6 months "solely relying on secret evidence" (Adalah, 2023).

We, the undersigned, citizens and residents of Canada, call upon the Government of Canada to request that Israel immediately free Ahmad Manasra.