Release of Nayel Al-Barghouthi, who holds the world record for the longest imprisonment, is expected from Israeli prisons

Ramallah, 19 February – (PIC): Nayel al-Barghouthi, a prominent Palestinian leader who holds the world record for the longest prison sentence, is expected to be released from Israeli prisons after nearly 40 years. He is likely to be freed next week under the “Storm of the Free” agreement.

Family sources said that Al-Barghouthi, who has been in Israeli prisons for 45 years, is known as “Abu Al-Noor” among prisoners. He entered his 44th year in prison in November 2023, with 34 of those years spent in continuous detention—the longest period for any Palestinian prisoner in Israeli jails.

On Tuesday, Al-Barghouthi’s family shared that he called his wife and told her he would be released next week but would be deported from the country as part of the prisoner exchange deal. The family confirmed that Al-Barghouti has accepted the deportation decision.

The prisoner exchange deal, agreed upon between Hamas and Israel on January 19, includes three phases, each lasting 42 days. This agreement is part of a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.