Over 200 cultural icons sign petition to release Palestinian terrorist Marwan Barghouti
Among them are British actor Stephen Fry, American musician Paul Simon, and actresses Hannah Einbinder and Ilana Glazer
More than 200 prominent figures from the global cultural scene have signed a new petition demanding the release of Marwan Barghouti, the Palestinian militant leader serving multiple life sentences in Israel.
The campaign organized by the “Free Marwan” initiative, seeks to spotlight Barghouti’s decades-long incarceration and what it describes as the harsh conditions of his imprisonment.
The petition has drawn an unusually high-profile list of supporters, including several well-known Jewish artists. Among them are British actor Stephen Fry, American musician Paul Simon, and actresses Hannah Einbinder and Ilana Glazer.
They join a roster of internationally recognized names such as Mark Ruffalo, Sir Ian McKellen, Benedict Cumberbatch, Tilda Swinton, Josh O’Connor, Sting, Annie Lennox, Brian Eno, and acclaimed author Margaret Atwood.
The signatories accuse Israel of “continued mistreatment” of Barghouti and call on the United Nations and governments worldwide to work toward his release.
Barghouti, long portrayed by supporters as a potential heir to Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, was arrested in 2002 and convicted for his role in orchestrating deadly attacks during the Second Intifada.
He is serving five life sentences plus 40 additional years for the killings of five Israeli civilians.
The campaign marks one of the most high-profile international pushes in years for Barghouti’s freedom, and is likely to reignite debate over the legacy of the man supporters call the “Palestinian Mandela” and critics deem an unrepentant terrorist.