Global campaign calls for release of Palestinian leader Marwan Barghouti from Israeli prison
A worldwide initiative has begun to demand the release of Palestinian political figure Marwan Barghouti, who was abducted by the Israeli regime.
The drive, organized by Barghouti’s West Bank-based family with support from UK civil groups, seeks to place the 66-year-old’s plight at the center of upcoming ceasefire negotiations between the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas and Israel.
Barghouti is widely regarded as a leading contender for future Palestinian leadership and consistently ranks first in public opinion surveys.
Murals bearing the words Free Marwan, coordinated by Calum Hall, founder of Creative Debuts, a creative consultancy and art platform, have appeared across London, while a major public artwork has also been unveiled in the village of Kobar near Ramallah.
A letter urging his freedom, signed by political and cultural figures, is expected to be published next week.
In 2004, an Israeli court handed Barghouti five life terms plus 40 years over allegations of involvement in operations during the second intifada. The Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), an international body, condemned the trial as “seriously flawed.”
Despite strong pressure from Hamas and Persian Gulf states, Israel refused to free him during the large-scale prisoner exchange following the October ceasefire.
Many observers argue that Israel resists his release because it fears his ability to become a powerful advocate for Palestinian rights.
Reports also indicate that, like Israel, senior Fatah figures oppose Barghouti’s liberation and have advised Tel Aviv not to include him in any prisoner exchange agreement.
Barghouti has repeatedly been held in solitary confinement without basic necessities and has endured four major acts of torture since 2023, yet he is still believed capable of assuming political leadership if freed.
He has been denied visits from his family for three years, and his lawyers have seen him only five times in two years. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has been barred by the occupying regime from contacting him, a violation of international law.
On August 15, he was mocked and threatened with execution by Israel’s so-called security minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, in a video recording.
The Knesset (Israeli parliament) is now reviewing a bill supported by Ben-Gvir that would allow the death penalty for those convicted of carrying out operations against settlers in the Occupied Territories, a measure that would include Barghouti.
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