LONDON — UK Green Party leader Zack Polanski wore a shirt on Saturday displaying the Palestinian flag colors and the text "Free Marwan" at a party event. Polanski defended the shirt on social media Monday night.
The shirt refers to Marwan Barghouti, who has been imprisoned since 2004. A court convicted Barghouti on five counts of murder for involvement in attacks. Barghouti previously served as a leader of the al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades during the Second Intifada.
Polanski stated that Barghouti was imprisoned without a fair trial. He compared Barghouti to former South African president Nelson Mandela, referencing a quote attributed to Mandela. Polanski collaborated with the Free Marwan Now campaign on a social media post on Sunday that advocated for Barghouti. The Free Marwan Now campaign shared the post with individuals including former Gaza flotilla activist Greta Thunberg, actor Mark Ruffalo, and actor Liam Cunningham.
The campaign stated, "Nelson Mandela was once politically isolated and labeled a terrorist before being recognized as a global symbol of freedom and justice. Marwan Barghouti faces a similar fate."
Last week, Polanski signed an open letter advocating for the UK government to investigate British citizens who served in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). Declassified UK and the International Centre of Justice for Palestinians organized this letter. The letter calls for the UK to implement airport disclosure requirements for individuals who served in the IDF and to subject travelers from Israel to screening for alleged war crimes. It also calls for investigations and prosecutions of veterans and service members.
Polanski wrote, "The IDF has been accused of horrific war crimes in Gaza by the UN Human Rights Council & Amnesty International. It is just common sense that those involved in war crimes should be held to account."
No independent assessment of Zack Polanski’s claims was available.