DayofPal—Palestinian former prisoner Maher Abdul Latif Younis has died following a sudden health complication, nearly three years after his release from Israeli prisons, where he spent 40 years in detention.
According to family sources, Younis passed away early Sunday morning after suffering a severe medical condition. His funeral is scheduled to take place after the noon prayer from the mosque in the Al-Dhahrat neighborhood of the village of Ara, where he will be laid to rest.
Younis was released on January 19, 2023, after serving four decades in Israeli prisons. He was first arrested in 1983 at the age of 25 over his involvement in resistance activities and his affiliation with the Fatah movement.
Following his arrest, he underwent intensive interrogation and was initially sentenced to death by Israeli authorities. The sentence was later commuted to life imprisonment, before being reduced to a fixed term of 40 years in 2012.
His arrest came shortly after the detention of his cousin, Karim Younis, while his close associate Sami Younis was later released in the 2011 prisoner exchange deal and died years after his release.
During his imprisonment, Younis lost his father in 2008, who himself had previously spent eight years in Israeli prisons. Despite his long incarceration, Younis managed to complete a bachelor’s degree in political science while in custody.
Born on January 6, 1958, in the village of Ara inside the 1948 territories, Younis received his early education locally before continuing at an industrial school in the city of Hadera.
His death has triggered immense fear of the loss of Kamal Adwan director Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya, who has been held in Israeli prison without charge and under harsh conditions.
In latest update of his condition, Abu Safiya told his lawyer:
“This is the last time you will see me… They brought me here to kill me. I don’t see myself surviving. This is the end.”
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