LONDON(RAHNUMA): A campaign has been launched to demand the release of Palestinian political leader Marwan Barghouti.
Led by his family and several UK-based human rights advocates, the campaign aims to make the release of the 66-year-old a key part of the next stage of the ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas.
Murals have appeared in London stating “Free Marwan” as part of the campaign, coordinated by Calum Hall, founder of creative consultancy and art platform Creative Debuts.
A massive art installation has also been unveiled in the village of Kobar in the occupied West Bank.
Barghouti, a member of Fatah, is widely believed to be a possible leader of a future Palestinian state, and regularly tops opinion polls as the most popular Palestinian politician.
He has been jailed by Israel since 2004, having been handed five life sentences plus 40 years for his role during the second Palestinian uprising.
He has spent significant time in solitary confinement, has been denied visits by his family for three years, and has allegedly suffered four serious assaults since 2023.
He has also been denied access to the International Committee of the Red Cross, and earlier this year footage emerged of him being taunted in jail by Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, who threatened to have him executed.
Ben-Gvir has been lobbying to have the death penalty legalized for prisoners jailed in relation to nationalist-motivated killings.
A letter written as part of the campaign for Barghouti’s release, signed by politicians and cultural figures, will be published next week.
Israel has resisted calls for his release as part of the ceasefire, despite pressure from Hamas, the Gulf states, and even a suggestion by US President Donald Trump that he might intervene on Barghouti’s behalf.
His family have begun speaking to Israeli media in recent months in a bid to alter public opinion on his incarceration.
His wife Fadwa said in an interview that he is committed to “the two-state solution as the way to move forward and live in peace.”
Barghouti’s son Arab told The Guardian: “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.”
