Daijiworld Media Network - Ramallah

Ramallah, Dec 6: Palestinian factions have voiced “grave concerns” over the wellbeing of senior political leader Marwan Barghouti following claims that he was allegedly tortured in an Israeli prison. The allegations surfaced after Barghouti’s son, Qassam, reported receiving a call from someone claiming to be a fellow prisoner who said Barghouti had been severely beaten.

In a now-deleted Facebook post on Friday, Qassam Barghouti said the caller claimed that Israeli guards had broken his father’s ribs and teeth, and cut a part of his ear “for entertainment,” leaving him “physically shattered.” Qassam later clarified that he was attempting to verify his father’s health through official channels.

The Israel Prison Service dismissed the claims as “another total lie” and labelled them as “propaganda” against its personnel. Meanwhile, the Palestinian Prisoner’s Society condemned what it described as “a new act of intimidation targeting” Barghouti’s family, warning that such actions only heightened fears for his safety. The society accused Israeli authorities of employing “organised terrorism policies” to psychologically pressure prisoners’ families.

Barghouti, a senior leader in President Mahmoud Abbas’s Fatah party, has been jailed since 2002 and is widely regarded as a symbol of Palestinian resistance, often compared to Nelson Mandela.

International attention has also grown, with hundreds of prominent figures—including writer Margaret Atwood and actor Javier Bardem—joining a campaign demanding the release of the 66-year-old leader.