After more than 44 years behind bars, Nael Barghouti, the world’s longest-serving political prisoner, is finally set to be released.

His family confirmed the news on Tuesday after receiving a long-awaited phone call from him. Barghouti, a living testament to Palestinian resilience, is expected to be freed as part of the prisoner exchange deal between Hamas and the Israeli occupation regime. However, his release comes with a heavy price—he will be exiled from his homeland, forced to live in an undisclosed country. The exact date of his release remains unclear, but sources suggest it could take place this Thursday or Saturday.

A Life in Chains, A Spirit Unbroken

Born on October 23, 1957, in the village of Kobar, north of Ramallah, Barghouti was just 20 years old when Israeli forces arrested him in 1978. Convicted of neutralizing an Israeli soldier, he was sentenced to life in prison plus 18 years. While political landscapes shifted and generations of Palestinian resistance fighters emerged and fell, Barghouti remained steadfast behind bars, becoming a symbol of unyielding defiance against Israeli occupation.

Despite the endless suffering imposed upon him, Barghouti never surrendered his hope for freedom. In 2011, he was released as part of the Wafaa Al-Ahrar prisoner exchange deal. He married former prisoner Iman Nafi’ and briefly tasted the joys of a life he had been denied for decades. However, in 2014, Israeli forces rearrested him, along with dozens of other released prisoners, citing a “secret file” to justify reinstating his original life sentence.

For the past decade, Barghouti has been more than a prisoner—he has been a symbol of endurance, an unwavering voice of Palestinian resistance, and a source of inspiration for thousands who continue to languish in Israeli prisons under harsh and unjust military policies.

A Family’s Struggle and Sacrifice

The Israeli occupation’s repression did not stop at Nael Barghouti; it extended to his entire family. In 2018, his nephew, Saliḥ Barghouti, was killed by Israeli forces. Soon after, his brother, Asim, was arrested, and their family home was demolished as part of Israel’s policy of collective punishment. In 2021, Barghouti lost his older brother, Umar, to COVID-19, but Israeli authorities denied him the right to bid farewell. His only sister, Hanan, was arrested in 2023 and placed under administrative detention without charge.

Barghouti’s suffering is not just personal; it reflects the collective pain of countless Palestinian families torn apart by Israel’s brutal occupation policies. Yet, even in the face of relentless persecution, he has remained steadfast in his commitment to Palestinian liberation, embodying the indomitable spirit of resistance that defines his people.

Freedom, But At What Cost?

While Barghouti’s release is a long-overdue victory, it comes with a cruel caveat—exile. He will not be allowed to return to his beloved village of Kobar, forced instead into a new form of displacement. For a man who has spent the majority of his life in prison, this exile is yet another manifestation of Israel’s strategy to strip Palestinians of their land, their homes, and their sense of belonging.

Yet, Palestinians see his release as a triumph, a reminder that their struggle is not in vain. However, it also raises urgent questions: How many more prisoners will be rearrested despite exchange deals? How many will face exile instead of true freedom? And when will the cycle of imprisonment and displacement finally end?

A Hero’s Legacy Lives On

Nael Barghouti is not merely a freed prisoner; he is a national icon, a living legend of Palestinian resistance. His decades of imprisonment have only strengthened his resolve, and his story will continue to inspire generations of Palestinians in their quest for justice, dignity, and freedom.

As he steps out of his prison cell, forced away from the land he holds dear, one thing remains certain: Nael Barghouti’s legacy will endure, for his resilience is not just his own—it belongs to the entire Palestinian people, who refuse to be broken. (ILKHA)