#FreeAshraf targets Saudi Arabia over Palestinian poet

Palestinian poet Ashraf Fayadh has been held in Saudi prison for more than two years now because of his poetry.

On July 28, activist Mona Kareem asked people from all around the world to spread the word about the poet's case in an open letter in collaboration with ArabLit editor, M Lynx Qualey .

The purpose of the campaign was to “keep a light on a case that could easily be forgotten, one where attention might help Ashraf from being shuffled off into even worse conditions,” Qualey told The Electronic Intifada .

People around the world answered their call with tweets, blog posts, photos, videos and more in support of the Palestinian poet.

Fayadh was first arrested in August 2013 after a Saudi citizen filed a complaint about his work, accusing him of"promoting atheism and spreading blasphemous ideas among young people," according to Amnesty International .

Fayadh was released the next day but was rearrested in January 2014 after distributing a book of poetry that allegedly promoted atheism.

Last November, Fayadh was sentenced to death in Saudi Arabia. Following worldwide protests, his death sentence was overruled i n February and he was sentenced to eight years in prison and 800 lashes.

Many of Fayadh's works have been translated  by Mona Kareem.

Saudi Arabia has repeatedly come under pressure by the international community over its treatment of activists and artists.

Saudi blogger Raif Badawi was first arrested in 2012 for "insulting Islam through electronic channels" on his website. He received a sentence of 10 years in prison and 1,000 lashes.

Since then, an on-going campaign has been working hard to #FreeRaif. The blogger has been awarded a prize for showing exemplary courage in upholding freedom of speech.