New street art recently appeared in Sheffield, at the junction of Upper Allen Street and Meadow Street. It features the Palestinian flag and a picture of a handcuffed Marwan Barghouti.
It was commissioned by the Sheffield Nablus Twinning Association and painted by Trik09, to raise awareness of Marwan Barghouti and over 10,000 Palestinian prisoners held in Israel.
But who is Marwan Barghouti and why is he being called Palestine’s Nelson Mandela?
Marwan Barghouti, like many Palestinians fighting for freedom, has been held in abusive conditions for decades in Israeli jails, after a trial described by legal experts as “flawed”. Marwan Barghouti has been imprisoned by Israel since April 2002, totalling over 24 years as of early 2026. Convicted in 2004, charged with multiple murder charges related to the Second Intifada, for which there does not appear to be any conclusive evidence, he is serving five consecutive life sentences plus 40 years. He is considered the longest-serving high-profile Palestinian prisoner and the most popular political leader of the Palestinians.
The campaign for his release has been relaunched internationally in conjunction with the Red Ribbon campaign, highlighting more than 10,000 Palestinians held hostage by the Israeli state, including more than 350 children, often without charge or trial. The Israelis do not want to release Marwan, often referred to as ‘the Palestinian Mandela’, because the majority of Palestinians recognise and respect him as a unifying leader.
Julie Pearn from Sheffield Nablus Twinning Association explained, “ We are a civil society organisation which promotes friendship, dialogue and collaboration between Sheffield and the West Bank city of Nablus across all sectors. Friendship to us means solidarity and campaigning for justice for a people suffering under illegal Israeli occupation.”
This video of Marwan was recorded in prison 18 years ago.
Discover more from Tell the Truth Sheffield
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
