LONDON, 29 Nov. - (ANA) - Israel is facing renewed international pressure over its continued imprisonment of Marwan Barghouti, after his family and a network of civil society groups launched a global campaign calling for his release.

 

As reported in The Guardian, the campaign is being driven by Barghouti’s West Bank-based family and supported by UK cultural and political figures. They hope to place the 66-year-old "at the centre of the next stage" of discussions following the Gaza ceasefire.

 

Citing successive opinion polls, The Guardian said Barghouti remains the most popular Palestinian political figure in both Gaza and the West Bank.

 

The campaign has already begun appearing in public spaces. Murals reading "Free Marwan", coordinated by Calum Hall, the founder of Creative Debuts, have appeared across London, while a large art installation has been displayed in Kobar, the village near Ramallah where Barghouti was born.

 

A letter signed by a range of cultural and political figures is expected next week.

 

Barghouti has been imprisoned by Israel for more than 20 years, following a conviction for planning attacks that caused the deaths of five civilians.

 

The Guardian noted that the Inter-Parliamentary Union previously criticised his trial as "deeply flawed". Despite pressure from Hamas and Gulf states, Israel declined to include him in the large prisoner exchange carried out during the 13 October ceasefire.

 

The report added that Donald Trump had "at one point" considered advocating for his release.

 

A member of Fatah and an advocate of a two-state solution, Barghouti is viewed by many Palestinians as a leader who could revitalise the Palestinian Authority and the Palestine Liberation Organisation after years of stagnation under Mahmoud Abbas.

 

Many believe Israel fear his release due to his potential to unify Palestinian factions and become an internationally recognised and efficient spokesman for the Palestinian cause. 

 

The paper added that Barghouti has spent long periods in solitary confinement, has been denied family visits for three years, and has seen his lawyers only five times in two years.

 

The International Committee of the Red Cross has been barred from meeting him, which The Guardian noted constitutes a breach of international law.

 

Most recently, Barghouti has been threatened and mocked by Israel’s national security minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, including in video footage circulated online, according to The Guardian.

 

The Knesset is currently examining legislation backed by Ben-Gvir that would allow the death penalty for offences defined as nationalist-motivated murder.

 

Barghouti’s wife, Fadwa, told Israeli media that her husband "sees the two-state solution as the way to move forward and live in peace".

 

His son Arab said Barghouti "represents hope to Palestinians at a time when there are efforts to silence him and make him forgotten," adding: "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".

 

An Israeli court sentenced Barghouti in 2004 to five life terms plus 40 years for his alleged involvement in deadly attacks during the second intifada.   - (ANA) -

 

AB/ANA/29 November 2025 - - -