Major European capitals witnessed massive demonstrations over the weekend as thousands mobilized in solidarity with Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli detention facilities. The coordinated protests, occurring on the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People, saw central London flooded with activists demanding the immediate release of approximately 9,100 Palestinians currently incarcerated, including more than 450 women and children.
Protesters adorned with red ribbons and waving Palestinian flags condemned Israel’s judicial practices, specifically targeting the system of administrative detention that allows indefinite imprisonment without formal charges. The demonstrations highlighted allegations of systematic torture, sexual violence, arbitrary arrests, and inhumane treatment within the Israeli prison network.
The movement quickly expanded across continental Europe, with parallel gatherings occurring in Paris and Athens drawing tens of thousands of participants. In Copenhagen, activists assembled outside the Israeli embassy under the banner “Bring Them Home,” personalizing their protest by sharing individual stories of detained Palestinians.
Central to the campaign is the case of Marwan Barghouti, a 66-year-old political figure viewed as a potential future Palestinian leader who has been imprisoned since 2002. Barghouti, serving five life sentences for alleged involvement in killings during the Second Intifada, has endured extended solitary confinement periods—including one stretch lasting three years—with reports indicating his conditions have significantly deteriorated since October 2023.
Recent investigative findings have uncovered disturbing detention practices, including an underground facility where Gazan prisoners are allegedly denied sunlight, adequate nutrition, and all external communication. Among those detained without charge are a nurse apprehended while wearing medical scrubs and a teenage food vendor.
Leaked Israeli data suggests that the overwhelming majority of Palestinians arrested during recent military operations in Gaza were civilians. A report by Physicians for Human Rights-Israel documented at least 94 Palestinian fatalities in Israeli custody, attributing deaths to torture, physical assault, deliberate medical neglect, or severe malnutrition. The case of 17-year-old Walid Ahmad, who died six months after his arrest at Megiddo prison, revealed post-mortem evidence of “severe and prolonged malnutrition.”
These findings align with a recent United Nations report that accused Israel of maintaining a de facto policy of organized and widespread torture against Palestinian detainees, with practices allegedly intensifying significantly since October 2023. The UN committee expressed particular concern that Israel’s detention policies, if implemented as described, would constitute cruel, inhuman, and degrading treatment prohibited under international law.