An international campaign to free popular Palestinian leader Marwan Barghouti, who has been jailed in Israel since 2002, is gathering pace, with more than 200 A-listers, from Margaret Atwood to Javier Bardem, lending their support. “We express our grave concern at the continuing imprisonment of Marwan Barghouti, his violent mistreatment and denial of legal rights whilst imprisoned,” said an open letter published on Wednesday, calling on the United Nations and governments to take action. Most of the high-profile cultural signatories were already active in efforts to bring an end to Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza, but the new letter is part of an international “Free Marwan” campaign launched by Barghouti’s family earlier this week. Barghouti, a senior leader of President Mahmoud Abbas’s Fatah group, who is viewed by many as Palestine’s Nelson Mandela, is serving five life sentences in Israeli prisons on alleged charges related to attacks during the second Intifada, which lasted from 2000 to 2005. Earlier this year, the 66-year-old, who has been subjected to brutal assaults repeatedly, causing bodily harm while in prison, was taunted in his cell at Ganot Prison in central Israel by far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir. Al Jazeera’s Milena Veselinovic reports from London. Subscribe to our channel: http://bit.ly/AJSubscribe Follow us on X: https://twitter.com/AJEnglish Find us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aljazeera Check our website: http://www.aljazeera.com/ Check out our Instagram page: https://www.instagram.com/aljazeeraenglish/ Download AJE Mobile App: https://aje.io/AJEMobile #MarwanBarghouti #FreeMarwanBarghouti #Palestine #PalestinianPoliticalPrisoners #HumanRights #Fatah #BenGvir #IsraelPrisonAbuse #LiberezMarwan #JusticeForMarwan