"More than 200 leading cultural figures have come together to call for the release of Marwan Barghouti, the jailed Palestinian leader seen as capable of uniting factions and bringing the best hope to the stalled mission of creating a Palestinian state. The prestigious and diverse group calling for his release in an open letter includes a variety of prominent names, including the writers Margaret Atwood, Philip Pullman, Zadie Smith and Annie Ernaux;"
"An elected parliamentarian at the time of his arrest, he remains the most popular Palestinian leader, consistently topping polls as the people's choice to lead. Israel's persistent refusal to release him, including in the recent prisoner swap that followed an October ceasefire in the Gaza war, does not appear to be linked to any intelligence assessment that he would pose a threat to Israel's security but instead to the influence he may wield in building unity and a momentum to a two state-solution."
Over 200 cultural figures have urged release of Marwan Barghouti. Signatories include Margaret Atwood, Zadie Smith, Sir Ian McKellen, Benedict Cumberbatch, Sting and Ai Weiwei. Barghouti, 66, has served 23 years after a trial legal experts described as flawed. He remains the most popular Palestinian leader and a potential unifying figure for a two-state solution. Israel has repeatedly refused to free him, apparently because of concern about his influence rather than assessed security risk. There is alarm at proposed Israeli laws that could impose the death penalty on Palestinian prisoners. A UN resolution for an international stabilisation force in Gaza has not prompted many troop contributions amid fears of conflict with Hamas.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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