Qassam Barghouti, the son of imprisoned Palestinian political leader Marwan Barghouti, said on Friday that a recently released detainee informed him his father had been subjected to severe physical abuse inside Israeli prisons.

According to Qassam, the detainee told him that Barghouti had “his body shattered, his teeth, ribs, and fingers broken, and part of his ear cut off.”

Qassam described the ongoing fear and uncertainty confronting the family. “What are we supposed to do? Who do we speak to? Who do we turn to? We are living this nightmare every day,” he said.

The allegations come amid a growing international campaign demanding Barghouti’s release. The campaign, led by his family and supported by civil society groups in the United Kingdom, is seeking to elevate Barghouti’s case in political and diplomatic discussions expected to follow the Gaza ceasefire.

The British newspaper The Guardian reported that more than 200 prominent cultural and public figures have signed a letter calling for Barghouti’s release. Widely regarded as a unifying figure capable of shaping the future of the Palestinian political movement, Barghouti has long been seen by many Palestinians as a leading contender to guide the national liberation project.

Signatories to the letter include well-known authors Margaret Atwood, Ian McEwan, and Zadie Smith; actors Benedict Cumberbatch, Tilda Swinton, Sir Ian McKellen, and Mark Ruffalo; and internationally recognized musicians such as Sting, Paul Simon, Brian Eno, and Annie Lennox. Other signatories include artist Ai Weiwei, director Sir Richard Eyre, and entrepreneur Richard Branson.

According to The Guardian, Israel’s reluctance to release Barghouti is believed to be tied less to security concerns and more to the political influence he could wield in shaping the Palestinian political landscape and the future of a two-state solution.

Barghouti, now 66, has spent 23 years in Israeli custody following a trial that numerous observers have described as unfair and not meeting international legal standards. He was a member of the Palestinian Legislative Council at the time of his arrest on April 15, 2002, in Ramallah. In 2004, he was sentenced to five life terms plus an additional 40 years.

As testimonies of mistreatment continue to surface and global pressure increases, attention is shifting to how the international community will respond to the mounting calls for Barghouti’s release and whether concrete steps will be taken to address his case. (ILKHA)