Twitter Storm to Save Ali Shariati

A Twitter storm for Ali Shariati, a social activist who has been on hunger strike in prison for over 60 days, has swept through social media networks. Previously, social media users had organized a similar storm in support of Arash Sadeghi. Arash Sadeghi ended his hunger strike after the temporary release of his wife, Golrokh Iraee. Mr. Shariati was sentenced to five years in prison by the appeals court on charges of 'gathering and colluding against national security' due to his participation in a protest against acid attacks. He has announced that he will continue his hunger strike until this charge is removed from his case. Concerns about his health have been expressed by various organizations, including Amnesty International. Twitter users are now urging all members of the platform to join a 'Twitter storm in support of Ali Shariati' on Wednesday, January 4. Using the hashtag #sosAli, they are calling for attention to the critical situation of this political prisoner. One Twitter user referenced a quote from Martin Luther King Jr.: 'Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.' Some users noted that even if Ali Shariati ends his hunger strike today, the physical and psychological damage from this strike will remain with him for years. Others criticized users who called for keeping the discussion about political prisoners' hunger strikes internal, urging them not to let the legitimate demand to save Ali Shariati become fuel for a letter-writing campaign to Trump. One user criticized this approach, stating: 'Let the world know that we care about this issue.' Ali Shariati is not the only political and ideological prisoner in Iran who has gone on hunger strike. Recently, Saeed Shirzad, Mohammad Ali Taheri, Lebanese citizen Nizar Dhakar, Hassan Rastgari Majd, and imprisoned cleric Mohammad Reza Nokonam have also gone on hunger strikes.