The detention of Marwan Barghouti by Israel

Written declaration No. 826 | Doc. 16306 | 16 December 2025

Signatories:

Mr Christophe LACROIX, Belgium, SOC ; Mr Abdurrahman BABACAN, Türkiye, NR ; Ms Laura CASTEL, Spain, UEL ; Mr Constantinos EFSTATHIOU, Cyprus, SOC ; Mr Yunus EMRE, Türkiye, SOC ; Ms Edite ESTRELA, Portugal, SOC ; Mr Gerardo GIOVAGNOLI, San Marino, SOC ; Ms Meryem GÖKA, Türkiye, NR ; Ms Gökçe GÖKÇEN, Türkiye, SOC ; Ms Seda GÖREN, Türkiye, NR ; Ms Saskia KLUIT, Netherlands, SOC ; Mr George LOUCAIDES, Cyprus, UEL ; Ms Luz MARTINEZ SEIJO, Spain, SOC ; Mr Fabian MOLINA, Switzerland, SOC ; Mr Sebastian RĂDUCANU, Romania, SOC ; Mr Namık TAN, Türkiye, SOC ; Mr Cemalettin Kani TORUN, Türkiye, NR ; Mr Francesco VERDUCCI, Italy, SOC ; Ms Zeynep YILDIZ, Türkiye, NR ; Ms Sandra ZAMPA, Italy, SOC

This written declaration does not reflect the position of the Assembly; only of those members that have signed it. It will not be considered further by the Assembly.

We, the undersigned, declare the following:

We express our deep concern regarding the detention and current state of health of Marwan Barghouti, an emblematic figure of the Palestinian cause who is today imprisoned by Israel.

The twenty-four-year detention of this moral and political reference for all Palestinians raises serious questions about respect for the right to due process, the protection of political freedoms, and the treatment of elected representatives.

Our concern is all the greater as the Israeli Parliament has just approved a bill that would allow courts to impose the death penalty on individuals deemed “terrorists” – with the required criminal intent suggesting that Palestinians would be the primary targets.

We call on the Israeli authorities to review Mr Barghouti’s case in accordance with international human rights standards.

The political reconstruction of Palestine and the establishment of lasting peace in the Middle East require the release of key figures such as Marwan Barghouti, who are capable of playing a central role in political dialogue and Palestinian sovereignty.

We urge Israel to honour its international commitments and to send a clear signal in favour of political freedoms and the protection of human rights.