An international campaign to release Marwan Barghouti who has been imprisoned by Israel for 23 years
Activists and human rights agencies have reactivated an international campaign to release Palestinian prisoner Marwan Barghouti (66), who has been languishing in Israeli prisons for 23 years.
In 2002, Israel arrested Barghouti, a member of Fatah’s Central Committee, and convicted him of murder and attempted murder, and he is serving five life sentences and is widely popular with Palestinian.
The campaign was relaunched through simultaneous events in London, his hometown in the occupied West Bank and other parts of the world.
The events were organized in many countries, including South Africa, France, Britain, Italy and many Arab countries.
A series of events and activities were organized on Sunday, including demonstrations and the display of paintings and drawings demanding Barghouti’s release, he said.
On Sunday, France witnessed events demanding the release of Barghouti, who had previously been granted “honorary citizenship” in more than 50 municipalities, he said.
He pointed out that most of the municipalities of France have witnessed in the past days and will witness in the coming days activities for the release of Palestinian prisoners, led by Barghouti.
On February 18, Israel’s extremist National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir stormed Barghouti’s cell and threatened him with death, according to a video posted by the Israeli media at the time.
From a local popular effort, Barghouti’s campaign turned into an international campaign that was reactivated several times, most notably on October 27, 2023.
On October 23, US President Donald Trump said he would decide whether to push for Barghouti’s release, but no decision has been announced yet.
Many believe that Barghouti is capable of uniting the Palestinians behind a “two-state solution” (Palestinian and Israeli), especially in light of the upcoming changes after the Israeli genocidal war in the Gaza Strip.
From his part, the government of the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, explicitly rejects the establishment of a Palestinian state.
Despite the release of thousands of Palestinian prisoners in exchange deals, the most recent of which is within the current ceasefire agreement, Israel refuses to release Barghouti and other prominent prisoners.
