The bittersweet taste of freedom: an interview with a former Palestinian prisoner
Amir Abu Raddaha in al-Am’ari refugee camp, Ramallah, weeks after his release foll0wing 23 years in Israeli prison, March 2025
Qassam Muaddi writes in Mondoweiss on 11 March 2025:
On the cold morning of February 15, 2025, hundreds of Palestinians gathered at the Ramallah Cultural Palace to receive the sixth batch of released prisoners as part of the first phase of the ceasefire deal between Hamas and Israel. This group was the smallest of the prisoner exchanges, as only nine Palestinians were released into the West Bank. At noon, the white minibus marked with the Red Cross logo approached the entrance of the municipal building, and the crowd began to press forward to get closer to the vehicle.
The door opened, and a thin figure emerged. Wearing a light gray sweatshirt, head shaven, and with a light white beard, the man exiting the bus took his first breath of freedom in 23 years. His name was Amir Abu Raddaha. He was arrested by the Israeli army in 2002 and sentenced to life in prison.
Before he touched the ground, the released prisoner was lifted on the shoulders of people in the crowds. He was soon wrapped in a jacket and carried toward the inner courtyard. Hands reached out to touch him, and chants resonated as the next released prisoner came out of the bus and was carried through the crowd.
During his time in Israeli prison, Raddaha went through it all; search raids, restrictions on living conditions, hunger strikes, denial of family visitation, deliberate medical neglect, and much more that he prefers to keep to himself -especially regarding the period following October 7, 2023.
At one point, Abu Raddaha coincided with his two other brothers, Amin and Mousa, in Israeli detention, although they were separated most of the time. He lost both his parents while in prison, and his mother never got to visit him.