Nael Barghouti, the world’s longest-serving political prisoner and a symbol of Palestinian resistance, has been released from Israeli custody after spending 45 years behind bars. His release comes as part of the recent prisoner exchange deal between Hamas and Israel. However, Israel has imposed a harsh condition: he will not be allowed to return home and must live in exile.
Barghouti, now 67 years old, was first arrested in December 1977 at the age of 20. After a brief three-month detention, he was re-arrested in 1978 alongside his brother Omar and cousin Fakhri, accused of killing an Israeli officer. He was sentenced to life in prison, later extended to 117 years by an Israeli military court. According to the 2009 Guinness World Records, he became the longest-serving political prisoner in the world.
During his time in prison, Barghouti earned the nickname “Abu al-Nour” and became a leading figure among Palestinian detainees. He educated himself, learning Hebrew and English, reading extensively, and advocating for prisoners’ rights. His symbolic gestures of defiance included smuggling lemon seeds to his mother so she could grow a tree in their yard, a connection to the land he was denied.
Arrest, Release, and Re-Arrest
Barghouti was first released in 2011 under the Gilad Shalit prisoner exchange, which saw 1,047 Palestinian detainees freed in exchange for a single captured Israeli soldier. He returned to his hometown Kobar, near Ramallah, and soon after married Iman Nafi, a former Palestinian political prisoner. His marriage, as he described it, was “a victory against prison, a challenge to those who deprived us of freedom.”
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However, in 2014, Israel re-arrested him, violating the terms of his release. He was initially sentenced to 30 months, but Israeli authorities later reinstated his life sentence, citing a “secret file” as justification. His appeals were repeatedly rejected. Over the years, his health deteriorated, with reports of severe beatings and mistreatment in detention.
This time, Israel has made it clear—Barghouti’s freedom comes with exile. He was sent to Egypt on February 27, 2025, but his wife has been barred from leaving the West Bank to reunite with him. “They denied us freedom but didn’t kill our determination to break our chains,” Barghouti declared after his release.
A Life Shaped by Occupation
Born on October 23, 1957, in Kobar, Barghouti grew up witnessing decades of occupation and conflict. His father was detained by the British, and his uncle was killed during the 1936 Great Arab Revolt. At just 10 years old, he saw Israeli forces invade the West Bank, East Jerusalem, and Gaza during the 1967 war, marking the start of what is now the longest military occupation in modern history.
His political involvement began young—he participated in protests, threw stones at Israeli soldiers, and painted anti-occupation slogans. As a teenager, he joined the Fatah Movement, then the leading Palestinian resistance group. However, in the 1990s, he switched allegiance to Hamas, rejecting the Oslo Accords and what he saw as Fatah’s compromises with Israel.
While in prison, he lost both his mother and father without being allowed to say goodbye. His dedication to the Palestinian cause made him a revered figure among prisoners and supporters alike.
Exile and an Uncertain Future
Despite his release, Barghouti’s forced exile raises serious questions. Israel has a long history of rearresting freed Palestinian prisoners, and in many cases, re-imposing life sentences based on vague or classified evidence. His exile appears to be a calculated move by Israel to prevent him from rejoining resistance efforts in the occupied West Bank.
His wife, Iman Nafi, remains in Ramallah, unable to see him. “The Israeli forces prevented me from leaving for ‘security and political reasons,’” she said, adding that dozens of other families have also been barred from reuniting with released prisoners.
For many Palestinians, Barghouti remains a symbol of steadfastness and resistance—but his story is also a reminder of the cost of that struggle. Even after four and a half decades in jail, true freedom remains out of reach.