On Thursday, January 25th, our esteemed colleague, Professor Imad Barghouti, was finally granted the long-awaited opportunity to meet with his lawyer. This meeting, repeatedly rescheduled by Israeli forces without any provided justification, marked a significant moment. Despite his ongoing incarceration without formal charges, the interaction allowed Professor Barghouti’s family to gain direct insight into his health, which has been a subject of concern during his three months long detention. Echoing earlier reports, he has lost a considerable amount of weight. Nevertheless Professor Barghouti remains in relatively good health and displays an incredibly positive spirit. By his own admission, this resilience is largely attributed to the outpouring of solidarity from scientists and scholars across the globe, and the support of his beloved family.
In an emotionally charged moment during the visit, his lawyer presented nearly 200 messages of support from all around the world, collected in mere hours. Our beloved Imad, deeply moved, found it challenging to articulate his immense gratitude for this overwhelming demonstration of love and support.
Despite Professor Barghouti’s optimistic outlook for a prompt release, there have been no recent updates concerning his case or a potential release date. He was sentenced to six months of administrative detention in November, a term with the potential for indefinite extension. This situation underscores the imperative to persistently advocate for the immediate release of Professor Barghouti and all Palestinians unjustly detained in Israeli prisons.