MK Ofer Cassif (Hadash) expressed “grave concerns” about the safety of jailed Palestinian leader Marwan Barghouti after his son reported receiving a call about Israeli guards allegedly torturing the popular activist in an Israeli prison.

Qassam Barghouti made the statement on Facebook on Friday, but later deleted the post, saying he was trying to obtain information about his father’s health from relevant agencies. In the deleted post, Qassam said he had received a call from a person identifying themselves as a Palestinian prisoner and who said Israeli prison guards had beaten his father severely, leaving him “physically shattered.”

Palestinian leader Marwan Barghouti in an Israeli prison (Photo: Free Marwan campaign)

MK Cassif said he spoke to Barghouti’s family about the call and the reports that “Marwan’s teeth, ribs and fingers are being broken and his ear being cut off.” “The family very much hopes that this is just intimidation and that the information is not true. They are waiting to hear from his lawyer about his condition,” Cassif said in a social media post on Friday. “I sincerely hope that this is indeed intimidation, diabolical to say the least, and nothing more. In any case: Free Marwan!” Cassif added.

A spokesperson for the Israel Prison Service said in a statement to The Times of Israel that the allegations were “another total lie” and “propaganda” against its prison staff. Meanwhile, The Palestinian Prisoner’s Society, condemned the “new act of intimidation targeting” Barghouti’s family, saying it had only further escalated their already “grave concerns” for the prisoner’s safety. Past week, Barghouti’s family launched the global “Free Marwan” campaign calling for his release, saying that they feared he may die while in Israeli prison.

According The Guadian, more than 200 leading cultural figures have come together to call for the release of Marwan Barghouti, the jailed Palestinian leader seen as capable of uniting factions and bringing the best hope to the stalled mission of creating a Palestinian state.

The prestigious and diverse group calling for his release in an open letter includes a variety of prominent names, including the writers Margaret Atwood, Philip Pullman, Zadie Smith and Annie Ernaux; actors Sir Ian McKellen, Benedict Cumberbatch, Tilda Swinton, Josh O’Connor and Mark Ruffalo, and the broadcaster and former footballer Gary Lineker.

It also includes the musicians Sting, Paul Simon, Brian Eno and Annie Lennox, as well as actor and presenter Stephen Fry and the British cookery writer and presenter Delia Smith. Others on the list are director Sir Richard Eyre, artist Ai Weiwei, and billionaire entrepreneur Sir Richard Branson.

The full statement reads: “We express our grave concern at the continuing imprisonment of Marwan Barghouti, his violent mistreatment and denial of legal rights whilst imprisoned. We call upon the United Nations and the governments of the world to actively seek the release of Marwan Barghouti from Israeli prison.”

The Free Marwan campaign: https://freemarwan.org/