The son of Marwan Barghouti, the senior Fatah leader imprisoned in Israel, has urged the British government to prioritise his father's release as part of Palestinian democratic renewal. Arab Barghouti warned that recent UK recognition of a Palestinian state risks offering false hope without concrete diplomatic action to secure his father's freedom.
Speaking at a London meeting, Barghouti argued that Palestinian politics remain dysfunctional due to a lack of elections for 20 years, and that his father could serve as a unifying figure to advance a two-state solution. He noted that opinion polls show Barghouti remains the most popular candidate to succeed Mahmoud Abbas as president of the Palestinian Authority.
Barghouti, a member of the Fatah central committee, has been held for 22 years after receiving multiple life sentences for five murders in 2003. An Inter-Parliamentary Union inquiry found that trial failed to meet fairness standards. His son claimed he has been kept in solitary confinement since 7 October and assaulted multiple times, most recently suffering broken ribs.
A cross-party group of British MPs has campaigned for Barghouti's release, arguing he is key to a peaceful resolution. The Foreign Office has declined to endorse the calls, stating only that it supports Red Cross access to prisoners. Labour MPs expressed frustration that the UK has been less proactive than France and Spain following its recognition of Palestine.
Simon Henderson, author of the 2003 IPU inquiry, told the meeting that only 21 of 96 witnesses could testify to Barghouti's involvement, and none did, while 12 explicitly exonerated him. Arab Barghouti said his father could change the status quo and offer a path to a political settlement, but added: "We have not yet had brave enough British politicians when it comes to the highest level of politics."
