A life-size bronze statue of Marwan Barghouti, a senior Fatah official serving five life sentences in Israel for his involvement in the murder of five people in terrorist attacks, has been placed atop a building on High Holborn in the Camden borough of central London, alongside a giant Palestinian flag hanging from the building.
Camden Council is investigating whether the statue was installed legally and whether planning permission was required.
The investigation followed a complaint filed on Thursday by the pro-Israel British legal organization UK Lawyers for Israel (UKLFI). The following day, the council's planning enforcement department confirmed that an investigation into the property was underway and that the complaint had been referred to the relevant officer. At this stage, no determination has been made that the statue was installed unlawfully.
The statue depicts Barghouti with his handcuffed hands raised above his head, his fingers forming a V for victory, resembling the well-known photograph taken after his arrest. It stands on the roof of Palestine House, a Palestinian cultural and community center founded by Osama Qashoo, a Palestinian filmmaker and activist living in the UK.
Qashoo was among the founders of the Free Gaza Movement in 2007 and one of the organizers of the Gaza flotilla. He was aboard the Mavi Marmara when Israeli naval commandos took control of the vessel in May 2010. His name also appears in a document published by the Meir Amit Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center following the incident. Palestine House hosts cultural events, film screenings, and exhibitions.
Activists campaign for Barghouti's release from prison
Barghouti, 66, was convicted in Israel in 2004 of five murders and sentenced to five life terms plus an additional 40 years in prison. Despite his lengthy imprisonment, he continues to hold considerable political standing in Palestinian society, and his supporters have been conducting an international campaign for his release.
This is not the statue's first appearance in London. In June, activists campaigning for Barghouti's release attempted to erect it in Parliament Square, but police prevented the installation and the statue was removed. It subsequently found a home on the building's rooftop.
This is also not the first time Palestine House has faced scrutiny from planning authorities. Previous complaints have concerned Palestinian flags displayed near the building, a giant advertisement for a beverage called Gaza Cola, and an illuminated sign bearing the slogan "Stop the Genocide." The council ordered some of the signs removed and refused to grant retrospective approval for other illuminated signage.
UKLFI seeks to remove statue due to property being in conservation area
UKLFI is challenging the installation of the Barghouti statue on planning and legal grounds, arguing that neither the statue nor its base appears in the building plans approved in July 2025. The organization emphasizes that the property is located in a conservation area and that approval for the rooftop extension was based partly on assurances that it would not be particularly prominent when viewed from street level. It is now demanding an investigation into whether the statue alters the building's appearance in a way that requires separate planning permission.
The legal organization has also sharply criticized the council's handling of the matter on public and moral grounds.
"Camden Council's failure to enforce the law in relation to this building is a disgrace," a UKLFI spokesperson said.
According to the spokesperson, the authorities' conduct encourages violations of the law and undermines public confidence, particularly when controversial messages and the glorification of an individual convicted of terrorism are involved.