Ahmad Manasra—now 23—was arrested by Israeli police in 2015 when he was just 13 years old. He was charged with the attempted murder of Israeli settlers in Pisgat Ze’ev, a settlement in East Jerusalem not far from his Beit Hanina home. Manasra and his cousin were charged with trying to stab the settlers, and his cousin was shot and killed at the scene. Manasra, too, was attacked by the settlers and then shot in the legs by the police where he was left to lie bleeding, bystanders taunting him, until an ambulance arrived.

Initially sentenced to 12 years in prison, Manasra’s sentence was later reduced to 9.5 years in 2017. There was no evidence that he had in fact stabbed anyone. But more than that, his case attracted international attention when footage from his interrogation was leaked. The videotape showed interrogators yelling and screaming at the young Manasra, who was visibly frightened and confused. As they repeatedly yelled, “Why did you stab him?” Manasra was seen crying and repeating “I don’t remember,” and “I don’t know”1—two phrases that traveled with his story through households, regions, and abroad.

Manasra was released on April 10, 2025 upon completion of his sentence, despite international advocacy for his early release. His mental health had deteriorated dramatically in prison.2

International law requires children to be afforded a legal adviser, as well as parental accompaniment, during legal proceedings such as an investigation.3 Manasra was denied both upon his arrest and then was interrogated for extended periods of time—breaking another prohibition of international law.4 The young boy was beaten by guards during his pretrial detention, causing swelling in his skull. Then he was denied medical care.

Besides this violence, Manasra was repeatedly placed in solitary confinement for weeks, and then months on end. In 2021, he was placed in solitary confinement for 16 months, and in March 2023, the court extended this period in solitary confinement for an additional six months based on “confidential materials” that the court refused to disclose.5 Following 22 months of solitary confinement in November 2023, Ahmad was asked “how long have you been in prison?” to which he answered “10 months.”6 Manasra’s mental health had quickly deteriorated following his arrest, and in 2018 he was diagnosed with schizophrenia. Manasra’s psychiatrist said that he likely developed the condition due to violent treatment and extreme stress in the prison. He was not allowed to receive mental health care while detained, and reportedly tried to slit his wrists, suffering from delusions and paranoia that kept him from sleeping while stuck in a tiny cell for 23 hours a day.7

The United Nations Nelson Mandela Rules state that spending longer than 22 hours a day for 15 consecutive days in solitary confinement is inhumane, could cause irreversible psychological damage, and may amount to torture.8

Anticipating Manasra’s release, Palestinians’ hopes of a celebration were dashed when he was reportedly released in a remote area near Beersheba many miles south of the prison site where his family was told to wait for him. A man in the Negev found him alone on a street and was able to contact his family on his behalf.9

Manasra’s family was warned against holding festivities by the Israeli authorities, who told them that only immediate family members would be allowed in his household, and that media interviews would not be tolerated.10 This strategy was reminiscent of the treatment of families of released prisoners in the Israel-Hamas prisoner exchange deal earlier this year, representing one more crackdown on expressions of joy and celebrations of freedom.

For unknown reasons—perhaps to intimidate him one more time—Manasra was required to go to al-Moskobiyya detention center in Jerusalem before going to his house. Manasra is one of the most well-known Palestinian prisoners due to his age, the apparent psychological torture he experienced, and the mental illness that he developed over the last 9.5 years. Neither the first or last young prisoner, Manasra’s story is a symbol of the thousands of Palestinian childhoods that have been lost behind bars.