More than 200 international cultural figures have signed an open letter calling for the release of Marwan Barghouti, a detained Palestinian political leader seen by many as a unifying figure and key to reviving hopes for a Palestinian state.

Among the high-profile signatories are authors Margaret Atwood, Philip Pullman, Zadie Smith, and Nobel laureate Annie Ernaux; actors Sir Ian McKellen, Benedict Cumberbatch, Tilda Swinton, Josh O’Connor, and Mark Ruffalo; and musicians Sting, Paul Simon, Brian Eno, and Annie Lennox. Broadcaster Gary Lineker, artist Ai Weiwei, director Sir Richard Eyre, entrepreneur Sir Richard Branson, and others also endorsed the statement.

Barghouti, 66, has spent 23 years in Israeli prison following what legal experts have described as a deeply flawed trial. An elected parliamentarian at the time of his detention, he remains the most popular Palestinian leader, regularly topping opinion polls.

Despite recent captive-detainee exchanges following the October ceasefire in the Gaza war, "Israel" has refused to release Barghouti. Observers say this is less about security concerns and more about the political influence he may wield in uniting Palestinian factions and reviving a "two-state solution."

Concerns over Israeli legal measures and death penalty push

There is growing concern that the Israeli government may pass new legislation allowing the death penalty for Palestinian detainees, potentially including Barghouti. The proposed law has been widely criticized by human rights groups and could escalate tensions if passed.

Moreover, major Palestinian rights organizations have rejected the resolution, posing additional political challenges Barghouti would face if released. The campaign draws deliberate parallels with the global cultural movement that helped secure the release of Nelson Mandela and the fall of apartheid in South Africa. Mandela himself said in 2002: “What is happening to Barghouti is the same as what happened to me.”

British musician Brian Eno stated, "History shows us that cultural voices can shift the course of politics. Just as global solidarity helped free Nelson Mandela, we all have the power to accelerate the day that Marwan Barghouti walks free. His release would mark a turning point in this long struggle and bring much-needed hope to all of us."

Calls for international pressure on 'Israel'

Selma Dabbagh, a British-Palestinian novelist and lawyer, said: "Marwan Barghouti’s trial was widely recognised as a sham. The body that represents parliaments around the world, the Inter-Parliamentary Union, undertook their own assessment and concluded it was deeply flawed. Marwan’s release would be a critical step in allowing Palestinians to determine their own leadership, whatever shape that may take."

The full open letter concludes: "We express our grave concern at the continuing imprisonment of Marwan Barghouti, his violent mistreatment and denial of legal rights whilst imprisoned. We call upon the United Nations and the governments of the world to actively seek the release of Marwan Barghouti from Israeli prison."

Despite growing international calls, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is expected to resist any move to free Barghouti without significant pressure from the United States. That said, US President Donald Trump this week invited Netanyahu to the White House for a future visit, which would be his fifth since Trump’s return to office in January.

This comes a few days after a broad international effort began gaining momentum to demand Barghouti's freedom. The launch of the campaign coincides with renewed negotiations tied to the ceasefire in Gaza, where the fate of Palestinian detainees has become central.

Barghouti's popularity has only grown during his imprisonment, during which many Palestinians have come to see him not merely as a politician but as a symbol of resistance, continuity, and national dignity.