A broad international effort is gaining momentum to demand the freedom of Marwan Barghouti, the veteran Palestinian political leader who has spent more than two decades in Israeli prisons and is regarded by many Palestinians as the only credible national figure capable of unifying a fragmented political landscape. The launch of the campaign coincides with renewed negotiations tied to the truce in Gaza, where the fate of Palestinian detainees has become central.

With the support of UK civil society groups, Barghouti’s family in the West Bank has set out to place his imprisonment at the heart of diplomatic discussions. Across years of polling, he emerges consistently as the most trusted Palestinian leader among both West Bank and Gaza residents, a rare figure whose legitimacy stretches across generational, political, and geographic divides. His 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.

The campaign has begun appearing in public spaces far from Palestine. Artist-led murals reading Free Marwan have been painted across London, organized by Creative Debuts founder Calum Hall, while a large-scale public installation has appeared in Kobar, Barghouti’s hometown outside Ramallah. A statement signed by international cultural and political figures is expected to be published next week.

Marwan Barghouti has been illegally held by Israel for 23 years, 7 months and 12 days. He consistently polls as Palestine’s most popular leader.

A sitting parliamentarian at the time of his abduction, he was convicted by a court he didn’t recognise in a trial that international… pic.twitter.com/bxWHhAfLNT

— FreeMarwanNow (@FreeMarwanNow) November 28, 2025

Silencing Leadership

Barghouti was abducted by Israeli forces in 2002 at the height of the second intifada and later handed five life sentences plus 40 years. He rejected the legitimacy of the Israeli court and refused to participate in the trial. The Inter-Parliamentary Union later criticized the proceedings as deeply flawed. Despite repeated calls, including from Hamas and several Gulf states, "Israel" refused to include him in the prisoner exchange that accompanied the October 13 ceasefire. At the time, even Donald Trump admitted that he had considered intervening in Barghouti’s case.

While "Israel" insists on keeping him behind bars, Palestinians argue that Barghouti’s continued imprisonment is political rather than legal. He is a senior Fatah figure who has long rejected Israeli apartheid and was one of the authors of the 2006 Prisoners’ Document, which outlined a unity platform across Palestinian factions. Many Palestinians believe he is being held not because he represents violence, but because he represents credibility, something the current Palestinian Authority leadership has largely lost after years of stagnation under Mahmoud Abbas.

Punitive repression

Conditions surrounding his detention have repeatedly drawn condemnation. Barghouti has spent prolonged periods in solitary confinement, denied family visits, and barred from receiving delegations from the International Committee of the Red Cross in violation of international norms. Former detainees describe him enduring beatings, at least four since 2023, leaving him with broken ribs and other injuries. He has not seen his family for three years, and his lawyers have only been allowed five visits in two years. Footage circulated recently showing "Israel’s" Police Minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, mocking and threatening him with execution, as the Knesset considers a Ben-Gvir-backed bill that would introduce the death penalty for Palestinians convicted of nationalist-motivated killings.

🚨 NEW: Israeli minister Itamar Ben Gvir filmed threatening Marwan Barghouti, the most prominent Palestinian prisoner, during a prison visit.
"Whoever murders our children… we will obliterate them."

📹 First time Barghouti seen publicly in years — frail, gaunt, unrecognisable.… pic.twitter.com/CbkOO25pak

— Khaled Shalaby (@KShalabyNews) August 14, 2025

Enduring hope

Seeking to influence Israeli public opinion, Barghouti’s wife, Fadwa, has granted her first interviews to Israeli outlets, stating that he "sees the two-state solution as the way to move forward and live in peace." His son Arab explained why the renewed campaign resonates so widely: his father "represents hope to Palestinians at a time when there are efforts to silence him and make him forgotten." He added: "Seeing people around the world raise his name gives me hope. I wish our family’s experience was unique, but thousands of Palestinian families endure the same pain.

"Honouring him in this way is not only a call for his freedom – it is a call for the release of all Palestinian prisoners and a stand for justice for every family still waiting."

Read more: Barghouti pressured, assaulted by Israeli guards, son says - Exclusive