Marwan Barghouti, the prominent Palestinian political leader who has been detained in Israeli prisons since 2002, is set to publish a significant collection of his writings this November. The book, titled Unbroken: In Pursuit of Freedom for Palestine, will be released by Penguin on 5 November, bringing together decades of personal and political material from behind bars.
A Voice from Incarceration
Now aged 66, Barghouti is widely regarded by many as a potential unifying leader for any future Palestinian state, especially as deadly attacks on Gaza persist despite nominal ceasefire agreements. His forthcoming publication assembles prison letters to his family, correspondence with public figures, press interviews, public statements, historical documents, and photographs. It also includes extracts from his earlier work, 1,000 Days in Solitary Confinement, which has previously been available only in Arabic.
Legal Controversy and Political Stance
Barghouti was arrested in Ramallah in 2002 while serving as an elected member of the Palestinian Legislative Council. He was convicted on terrorism charges by an Israeli court for allegedly orchestrating attacks that resulted in the deaths of five civilians. Barghouti has consistently denied these charges, and his trial faced criticism from the Inter-Parliamentary Union, which argued it breached international law, including the Geneva conventions.
A member of the Fatah party, which rivals Hamas, Barghouti has long advocated for a two-state solution. Analysts suggest that Israel's refusal to release him stems from concerns that he could emerge as a powerful and unifying voice for the Palestinian cause. Born in 1959 in the West Bank village of Kobar, he grew up under Israeli military occupation after the 1967 war and was arrested multiple times for political activism during his teenage years.
Harsh Prison Conditions and International Campaigns
Barghouti has endured extended periods in solitary confinement without access to his family. According to former Palestinian detainees, he has been subjected to multiple serious assaults while imprisoned. In a disturbing incident reported in August last year, Israel's national security minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, shared video footage showing him taunting Barghouti and threatening execution.
Despite more than two decades in prison, successive opinion polls indicate that Barghouti remains the most popular Palestinian politician in both Gaza and the West Bank. Often described as 'Palestine's Mandela', his continued prominence has fuelled international campaigns calling for his release. The latest campaign, launched in November 2025, involved coordinated demonstrations and public art installations in Palestine and cities including London, alongside protests across Europe, the US, and South Africa.
Cultural Support and Family Advocacy
In December 2025, over 200 leading cultural figures signed an open letter demanding Barghouti's release. Signatories included Margaret Atwood, Annie Ernaux, Benedict Cumberbatch, Elif Shafak, Peter Gabriel, Sting, Tilda Swinton, Olga Tokarczuk, Colm Tóibín, Sir Ian McKellen, and Gary Lineker. The introduction to Unbroken has been written by his wife, Fadwa Barghouti, a prominent advocate for his release.
'For a long time, I have wished that the world could hear Marwan in his own voice, not through the noise surrounding him,' Fadwa Barghouti stated. 'This book finally makes that possible – and I hope it helps people understand who Marwan Barghouti truly is, and how he embodies the Palestinian struggle for freedom and dignity.'
The publication of this book marks a significant moment, offering a direct insight into the thoughts and experiences of a figure who continues to shape Palestinian political aspirations from within the confines of an Israeli prison.
