CENTRAL ISRAEL — Lawyer Ben Marmarelli said senior Palestinian leader Marwan Barghouti was subjected to three assaults by Israeli prison guards over March and April 2026, according to statements posted on the Telegram page of the Palestinian Prisoners' Media Office. Barghouti, 66, is a leader of President Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah movement who has been serving a life sentence imposed by Israel since 2002.

The most recent alleged assault occurred on April 8, 2026, when Barghouti was beaten at Ganot Prison in central Israel, leaving him bleeding, Marmarelli said. His requests for medical attention following the incident were denied, according to the lawyer.

On March 24, 2026, guards stormed Barghouti's cell at Megiddo Prison in northern Israel with a dog, forced him to lie on the floor, and the dog repeatedly attacked him, he said. The following day, March 25, Barghouti was assaulted again while being transferred from Megiddo Prison to Ganot Prison, he said.

The Free Marwan international campaign separately said Barghouti had been subjected to assaults while held in solitary confinement at Megiddo and Ramon Prison in southern Israel. The claims from both the campaign and Marmarelli's account have not been independently verified, and no response from the Israel Prison Service or the Israeli Justice Ministry was available.

Barghouti is serving five life sentences on charges related to alleged attacks during the second Intifada, the Palestinian uprising that lasted from 2000 to 2005. In October 2025, his son said Barghouti had been beaten by Israeli guards during a prison transfer in September 2025, resulting in four broken ribs and head injuries.

In 2025, far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir visited Barghouti in his cell at Ganot Prison and said, "You won't win." Israel has not released Barghouti and other high-profile detainees in recent exchange deals under the Israel-Hamas ceasefire agreement that entered into effect on October 10.