Twitter Saves Man From Egyptian Justice

Twitter. Don’t leave home without it.

I don’t know if this is as good for Twitter as the Charlie Rose incident was for Apple, but it’s close. UC Berkeley graduate journalism student James Karl Buck was arrested on April 10 without any charges in Egypt for photographing a demonstration.

He used his mobile phone to twitter the message “Arrested” to his 48 followers, who contacted UC Berkeley, the US Embassy and a number of press organizations on his behalf.

The next day Buck twittered ” Alive and ok. Still in jail,” but was released not too long afterwards. He’s still worried about his friend, Mohammed Salah Ahmed Maree, who was arrested with him and remains in jail. Buck says he is on a hunger strike until his friend is free.