Qalandiya camp (north of Jerusalem): On Wednesday, the Israeli occupation authorities released the Jerusalemite prisoner, Muhammad Mahmoud Al-Salhi (42 years old), from the Qalandiya camp, north of occupied Jerusalem.
Although the release comes after the end of the prisoner’s sentence, it was accompanied by a threat to the prisoner and his family if he held demonstrations of joy or reception.
Tel Aviv Tribune Net witnessed the first moments of Al-Salhi’s reception, the signs of joy that accompanied her, and the reception of well-wishers at the headquarters of the Popular Committee of Qalandia Camp.
Al-Salhi was cautious in his media statements, and limited his talk to Al-Jazeera Net to a few words in which he introduced himself and the general conditions of the prisoners.
He said that today he is “free,” adding that “the most difficult prison conditions are deprivation and oppression,” and that he misses his fellow families, whom he considers his second family.
For his part, his relative Muhannad Shehadeh, a member of the Kafr Aqab municipality, north of Jerusalem, said that Muhammad spent his childhood while his father was captive, and today he is breathing freedom after 23 years of detention.
He said that many events changed Muhammad’s life: “His grandmother died, his friends graduated from their universities, got married, and became fathers, and he was under arrest.”
He pointed out that his conditions inside the prison before last October 7 were incomparable with his suffering since that date, “as the worst types of humiliation were practiced against the prisoners.”
He added, “Today, Muhammad is as if he was born again. He can hardly believe that he has been liberated and is waiting for the moments when he can sit with his family.”
He added that the occupation forced the prisoner’s father – before his release – to sign papers that included fines and a ban on holding celebrations and gatherings, “but we were not able to prevent people from attending. Muhammad received all the camp residents and well-wishers from Ramallah and Jerusalem.”