Cultural figures call for jailed Palestinian leader's release

More than 200 cultural figures have called for the release of Marwan Barghouti, the jailed Palestinian leader seen as capable of uniting factions and bringing the best hope to the stalled mission of creating a Palestinian state.

- Patrick Wintour Diplomatic editor

The prestigious and diverse group calling for his release in an open letter includes the writers Margaret Atwood, Philip Pullman, Zadie Smith and Annie Ernaux; the actors Sir Ian Mckellen, Benedict Cumberbatch, Tilda Swinton, Josh O'Connor and Mark Ruffalo; and the broadcaster and former footballer Gary Lineker. It also includes the musicians Brian Eno, Sting, Paul Simon and Annie Lennox, the actor and presenter Stephen Fry, the cookery writer and presenter Delia Smith, the director Sir Richard Eyre, the artist Ai Weiwei, and the billionaire entrepreneur Sir Richard Branson.

Barghouti, 66, has spent 23 years in prison after what legal experts have described as a flawed trial. An elected parliamentarian at the time of his arrest, he remains the most popular potential Palestinian leader, consistently topping polls as the people's choice to lead.