Ali Sharifi Zarchi
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Ali Sharifi Zarchi | |
|---|---|
| Occupation | Chair of the Scientific Committee of the International Olympiad in Informatics |
| Known for | Political activism |
Ali Sharifi-Zarchi is an Iranian academic in bioinformatics, machine learning, and artificial intelligence, known for his activism during and after the 2022-2023 protests in Iran. He is an assistant professor of bioinformatics at the Department of Computer Engineering at Sharif University of Technology and the chair of the scientific committee of the International Olympiad in Informatics.[1][2][3]
He was dismissed from the faculty of Sharif University of Technology in September 2023 for publicly expressing support for the protest movement and criticizing government actions,[4][5] but later returned at the beginning of the following academic year following a government review of dismissed students and professors.[6]
A court in Iran's central Yazd province announced in March 2026 that it had confiscated assets belonging to Sharifi Zarchi, as part of a crackdown on those accused of siding with the US and Israel in the 2026 Iran War.[7][8][9]
Sharifi Zarchi was a member of Iran's national student team at the 2000 International Olympiad in Informatics, where he won a gold medal.[10] He holds a bachelor's and master's degree in computer engineering from Sharif University of Technology and a PhD in bioinformatics from the University of Tehran.[11] He also completed research and postdoctoral work at the Max Planck Society in Germany and a state university in the United States. Since 2011, he has been a bioinformatics researcher at the Royan Institute and, since 2016, a faculty member at Sharif University of Technology.[4]
Activism
Ali Sharifi-Zarchi became widely recognized for his activism during the nationwide 2022-2023 protests in Iran. His activism is closely associated with his public criticism of the Iranian government, his support for protest movements, and his calls for accountability regarding state actions.[12]
In a public statement rejecting the authority of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, he wrote on X "Ali Khamenei is not my leader."[13]
His statements have called for global engagement in response to human rights concerns, and to take action against the "brutal regime." He has also highlighted the plight of Iranians living under an ongoing internet blackout, describing his decision to remain abroad as an effort to serve as a voice for those inside the country.[13]
Dismissal from the university
During the 2022-2023 Iranian protests, Sharifi-Zarchi was among the critics of the Iranian government's policies and the ongoing security pressure on students and universities. He was summoned by the Ministry of Intelligence of Iran, where they presented him with a folder of all his X posts, leading to his dismissal in September 2023.[4] A student-led petition gathered over 13,000 signatures opposing his expulsion.[14][15] He was later reinstated.[6]
