UK Green Party leader Zack Polanski has defended his support for imprisoned Palestinian leader Marwan Barghouti after being targeted by pro-Israel activists over a T-shirt bearing the slogan "Free Marwan", telling The New Arab that Barghouti was denied a fair trial and remains a symbol of Palestinian self-determination.
Polanski's comments came after pro-Israel activists launched a backlash against him on social media after photographs emerged showing him wearing a "Free Marwan" T-shirt, a reference to Barghouti, one of the most prominent Palestinian political figures of the past three decades.
The image was quickly seized upon by pro- Israel commentators, who sought to portray Polanski's support for Barghouti as an endorsement of violence.
"What really unsettles critics isn't the shirt. It's the idea that Palestinians might have a leader capable of uniting their people and leading the fight for liberation from apartheid the same way Nelson Mandela did," Polanski told The New Arab. The Green Party leader also challenged the legitimacy of Barghouti's conviction, citing international concerns over the fairness of the legal proceedings against him.
"An Inter-Parliamentary Union observer found that Barghouti's case was so compromised by breaches of international law that it was impossible to conclude he had received a fair trial," he said.
Good. Let's talk about Marwan Barghouti.
Imprisoned for 25 years.
An inter-Parliamentary Union report found he was not given a fair trial.
Nelson Mandela: “What is happening to Barghouti is exactly the same as what happened to me."
Free Marwan. https://t.co/EoTcJkttRd https://t.co/CNh7Z0mSz6 — Zack Polanski (@ZackPolanski) June 7, 2026 Among those attempting to smear Polanski was Heidi Bachram, a Brighton-based pro-Israel activist, who wrote on X: "What the hell is Zack Polanski doing wearing a shirt to free the Palestinian terrorist Marwan Barghouti who murdered five civilians. This is TOO FAR."
Polanski doubled down on his support for the imprisoned Palestinian icon by sharing a link to the Free Marwan campaign and encouraging discussion about Barghouti's case.
"Good. Let's talk about Marwan Barghouti," he wrote on X.
"Imprisoned for 25 years. An Inter-Parliamentary Union report found he was not given a fair trial. Nelson Mandela: 'What is happening to Barghouti is exactly the same as what happened to me.' Free Marwan."
The Green Party leader has long been outspoken in support of Palestinian rights and has repeatedly criticised Israel's occupation of Palestinian territories and the Gaza genocide.
Barghouti remains one of the most influential figures in Palestinian politics despite spending more than two decades in Israeli prisons.
A senior Fatah leader and a central figure during the Second Intifada, he has advocated both political negotiations with Israel and resistance to Israeli occupation.
Israeli forces arrested him in Ramallah in 2002 during the Second Intifada. He was later convicted by an Israeli court on five counts of murder and membership of what Israel designated a "terrorist organisation".
Throughout the proceedings, Barghouti refused to recognise the court's legitimacy, arguing that an occupying power had no legal authority to try a representative of an occupied people.
The Free Marwan campaign says Barghouti has been illegally imprisoned for more than 24 years and is being held under harsh conditions. It is calling on governments, international institutions and the United Nations to press for his release.
Despite being held behind bars and repeatedly taunted by far-right Israeli leaders , Barghouti has remained an active political figure with considerable influence among Palestinians.
His imprisonment has done little to diminish his political standing, with polls consistently placing him among the most popular Palestinian political figures and highlighting his appeal as a leader capable of uniting rival factions.
Barghouti has frequently been compared to Nelson Mandela and is often referred to as the "Palestinian Mandela" by supporters and international campaigners.