Despite her young age, Layan has been arrested by Israeli occupation forces twice already.
On April 7, the Israeli army stormed Layan’s house and searched it. The family had no idea that the purpose of the raid would be to arrest their daughter again.
Layan’s mother told the Palestine Chronicle that she had a strange feeling about the raid, but was nonetheless shocked when the Israeli officer asked for her daughter’s identity card, only to inform her that she was under arrest.
“I told him to leave her alone, she had not done anything,” she begged the soldier. “But of course, he didn’t care about my tears that flowed out of sadness and oppression.”
Layan was arrested for the first time in July 2021. At the time, she was a student at Birzeit University and Israel’s intelligence services accused her of participating in union activities and helping students.
Three months after her arrest, the court approved Layan’s release request on the condition that she continued to appear in court for her trial sessions.
This is what she did. She continued to attend the court sessions every few months so as not to be rearrested.
However, this did not prevent her second arrest under administrative detention.
Being under administrative detention meant that the young woman not only ignored any charges against her, but also had no knowledge of how long she would remain in prison.
“My tears don’t dry over her absence. She is the heart of the house with her smile and generosity,” Layan’s mother said.
“Her twin Basil is very sad without his sister, she is our only daughter among three children,” she added.
“I think about her every moment, especially since the conditions of detention this time are different. Female prisoners are clearly humiliated and we are prevented from visiting her or even talking to her.”