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More than 20 actors known for roles in Marvel films and television series have joined an international campaign calling for the release of Palestinian politician Marwan Barghouti, who the campaign says has been held in solitary confinement by Israel since 2023.
The campaign, called "Free Marwan Now," was launched by Barghouti's family and supporters and has drawn support from more than 200 figures across film, music and literature, according to the campaign's Instagram statement.
It said the group is "gravely concerned at the continuing imprisonment of Marwan Barghouti, his violent mistreatment and denial of legal rights whilst imprisoned." The statement called on the United Nations and world governments to "actively seek the release" of Barghouti.
Among the signatories with the most prominent Marvel credits are Mark Ruffalo, who played Bruce Banner and the Hulk in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Benedict Cumberbatch, who played Doctor Strange, and Ian McKellen, who played Magneto in the "X-Men" series.
The list also includes Marvel Cinematic Universe actors Don Cheadle, who played War Machine, Cate Blanchett, who portrayed Hela in "Thor: Ragnarok," and Tilda Swinton, who played the Ancient One. Tatiana Maslany, who starred in "She-Hulk," and Daniel Bruhl, known for playing Zemo, are also listed as signatories.
Other actors who joined the campaign include Rebecca Hall, Riz Ahmed, Jason Flemyng, Elliot Page, Hugo Weaving, Zawe Ashton, Emma Corrin, May Calamawy, Brian Cox, Dan Stevens, Rob Delaney and Kingsley Ben-Adir.
Barghouti was born on June 6, 1958, in Kobar, a village northwest of Ramallah in the West Bank, the Palestinian territory bordering Jordan and Israel.
He joined the Fatah movement at age 15 and was first arrested by Israel in 1976, at age 18. He was detained multiple times during his university years and was placed under house arrest in 1985.
He became a prominent figure during the First Intifada, the Palestinian uprising that began in 1987, after which Israel deported him to Jordan for seven years.
He returned to the West Bank in 1994 under the Oslo Accords between Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization.
In 1996, Barghouti was elected to the Palestinian Legislative Council representing Fatah in the Ramallah and Al-Bireh area and later became the movement's secretary-general. Israeli forces arrested him at his home in Ramallah in 2002.
An Israeli court subsequently convicted him on charges including murder and attempted murder, connected to attacks during the Second Intifada that killed five people, and sentenced him to five life terms plus 40 years in prison.
Barghouti holds a bachelor's degree in history and political science and a master's degree in international relations from Birzeit University, and completed a doctorate while imprisoned. He has written several books, including "The Promise," "Resistance to Arrest" and "One Thousand Days in a Solitary Confinement Cell."
In February 2024, Israel's National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir ordered Barghouti's transfer from Ofer Military Prison to Ramon Prison, where he was placed in solitary confinement. Israeli authorities said the move followed intelligence concerning plans for an uprising in the West Bank, a decision that raised concern among Palestinians about his safety.
The campaign said its goal is to secure Barghouti's release and to urge international institutions and governments to intervene on his behalf.
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