Imprisoned Palestinian Leader Marwan Barghouti Could Run in Upcoming Presidential Elections, Says Son

Palestinian presidential elections, scheduled to take place next year for the first time in two decades, could feature the participation of Palestinian leader Marwan Barghouti, according to his son, Arab, who spoke with The National.

“There's nothing legally that prevents him from running [in the elections] if he wants to,” Arab stated. His father has been imprisoned in Israel on terrorism charges since 2002. “It’s his decision to make when the elections are officially announced.”

Mr Barghouti was previously set to take part in a 2021 election that polls suggested he would win, but Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas cancelled the vote, citing Israel's refusal to allow Palestinians in occupied East Jerusalem to participate. Mr Abbas has been in power for over two decades, and the Palestinian Authority (PA), which he heads, faces growing international pressure to reform, leading to a decree for new legislative and presidential elections.

Despite decades of isolation, Mr Barghouti secured the highest number of votes in elections for the ruling Fatah party's central committee in May. An international campaign advocating for his release has recently drawn support from prominent figures in the music and film industry, including 20 actors from the Marvel Universe.

“What triggered this, I think, is a feeling of hopelessness and despair when it comes to Palestine-Israel, and everyone's seeing what the Israeli government is doing,” Arab said, referencing military crackdowns in the occupied West Bank and the ongoing occupation of Gaza. He emphasized the necessity for democratic renewal and representative leadership focused on Palestinian freedom, self-determination, and ending the occupation while adhering to international legal frameworks.

Arab highlighted why his father is well-suited for such a role. “I think that the Nelson Mandela model in South Africa made it easier for people to understand and envision a future where better leadership can really create a difference, and that's what my father represents.”

According to his lawyer and family, Mr Barghouti has faced torture, starvation, and solitary confinement while in prison. Rights groups report that since the Hamas attack and subsequent Israeli invasion of Gaza in October 2023, the severity of mistreatment toward Palestinian detainees has sharply increased, including denials of food, medicine, and hygiene, alongside overcrowding and torture. Activists also claim that the International Committee for the Red Cross (ICRC) has been blocked from regularly visiting the more than 10,000 Palestinian detainees in Israeli jails.

Despite attempts to silence him, Mr Barghouti remains Palestine's most prominent detainee, maintaining international support throughout his incarceration. At the time of his trial, Nelson Mandela famously remarked: “What is happening to Barghouti is exactly the same as what happened to me.”