Karim Fakhrawi
{{short description|20th and 21st-century Bahraini publisher}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2024}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Karim Fakhrawi
| image = Abdulkarim Ali Ahmed Fakhrawi body with torture marks 6.jpg
| caption = Evidence of Fakhrawi's torture was posted to the internet after his death
| birth_name =
| birth_date = {{c.|1962}}
| birth_place = Bahrain
| death_date = {{death-date and age|12 April 2011|1962}}
| death_place = Manama, Bahrain
| education =
| occupation = {{cslist|Publisher|bookstore owner|newspaper owner}}
| alias =
| title =
| family =
| spouse =
| domestic_partner =
| children =
| relatives =
| years_active=
| credits = Al-Wasat
| agent =
| website =
}}
Karim Fakhrawi, also known as Abdulkarim Ali Ahmed Fakhrawi ({{c.|1962}} – 12 April 2011),{{cite web |date=18 April 2011 |title=Co-founder of independent newspaper dies in custody in Bahrain, some journalists freed in Syria and Libya |url=http://en.rsf.org/bahrain-co-founder-of-independent-18-04-2011,40037.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111014162154/https://en.rsf.org/bahrain-co-founder-of-independent-18-04-2011,40037.html |archive-date=14 October 2011 |access-date=27 February 2012 |publisher=Reporters Without Borders}} was a Bahraini publisher who was the co-founder of Al-Wasat, considered one of the more popular newspapers in Bahrain by winning numerous awards. He died while in custody due to severe torture, according to the Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry.{{Cite journal|date=2011|title=Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry|url=http://www.bici.org.bh/BICIreportEN.pdf|journal=Report of the Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry}} He was the second professional media worker to be killed during the Bahraini uprising, and one of three journalists killed in total.{{cite news|newspaper=Los Angeles Times|title=Bahrain: Fourth person dies in police custody as human rights groups allege torture|date=13 April 2011|access-date=27 February 2012|url=http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/babylonbeyond/2011/04/bahrain-torture-human-rights-protest-activist-dead.html}}{{cite web|publisher=Committee to Protect Journalist|title=Karim Fakhrawi|date=12 April 2011|access-date=25 March 2012|agency=Committee to Protect Journalist|url=http://www.cpj.org/killed/2011/karim-fakhrawi.php}}{{cite web|publisher=IFEX|title="Al-Wasat" founder dies in custody in Bahrain|access-date=25 March 2012|date=15 April 2011|url=http://www.ifex.org/middle_east_north_africa/2011/04/18/al_wasat_founder/|agency=IFEX}}{{cite web|publisher=Committee to Protect Journalist|title=Ahmed Ismail Hassan|date=31 March 2012|access-date=25 March 2012|agency=Committee to Protect Journalist|url=http://www.cpj.org/killed/2012/ahmed-ismail-hassan.php}}
Personal
Fakhrawi co-founded Al-Wasat in 2002, the only independent newspaper in Bahrain, which was in the process of being banned by the Bahraini government for "trying to harm Bahrain's stability and security and disseminating false information that undermined the country's international image and reputation". He was also a member of the opposition group Al-Wefaq.{{cite news|url=https://af.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idAFTRE73B5R320110412|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110416091614/http://af.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idAFTRE73B5R320110412|url-status=dead|archive-date=16 April 2011|title=Opposition businessman dies in Bahrain prison|date=12 April 2011|access-date=27 February 2012|work=Reuters}}{{cite news|url=http://english.aljazeera.net/news/middleeast/2011/04/201141220154357546.html|title=Bahrain opposition figure 'dies in custody'|date=13 April 2011|access-date=27 February 2012|publisher=Al Jazeera}} Karim Fakhrawi was a Shi'ite Muslim of Persian origin (Ajam) who lived in Manama.{{cite news|url=http://abna.ir/data.asp?lang=3&id=236307|title=Funeral Procession of Martyr Abdul Karim Fakhrawi To be Held on April 13|date=13 April 2011|access-date=25 March 2012|agency=ABNA|archive-date=11 November 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131111002748/http://abna.ir/data.asp?lang=3&id=236307|url-status=dead}}
Career
Fakhrawi was a businessman and founder of Bahrain's first educational bookstore. The bookstore had expanded into a publishing house and acted as the main supplier of books to the University of Bahrain. He owned the construction company that built the Iraqi Embassy in Bahrain. Fakhrawi was also one of the main founders of popular independent newspaper, Al-Wasat.{{Cite journal|title=Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry|url=http://www.bici.org.bh/BICIreportEN.pdf}} Al-Wasat has won multiple awards, such as the UNICEF regional award for electronic media, and it is the 15th strongest MENA newspaper on the internet, according to Forbes Middle East. He was a member of Al-Wefaq, the largest opposition political party in Bahrain.{{cite news|title=Bahrain to prosecute civil servants over protests|access-date=25 March 2012|date=17 April 2011|url=http://www.boston.com/news/world/middleeast/articles/2011/04/17/bahrain_to_prosecute_civil_servants_over_protests/|newspaper=Boston Globe}}
Death
Fakhrawi was taken into custody 5 April 2011 when he was going to complain that police were threatening to demolish his home. He was accused of "deliberate news fabrication and falsification" by the Bahraini authorities, and the government said it would file charges against three employees as well as deporting two others. Fakhrawi was in police custody for one week before his death, and was one of many who died while in the custody of the local police. Bahraini police told the media that Karim died of kidney failure, but photos later leaked revealing bruises indicating torture and police brutality.{{cite news|title=Bahrain police go on trial over death of blogger|access-date=25 March 2012|date=12 January 2012|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/mobile/world-middle-east-16511685|agency=BBC News}} The evidence was discovered in the process of burial, when his clothes were removed and his torture marks were documented and released.
The Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry (BICI) stated, "The death of Abdulkarim Ali Ahmed Fakhrawi occurred at the BDF Hospital after he had been transferred from the custody of the NSA. The NSA conducted an investigation into the physical abuse of Mr Fakhrawi but not into his death. The NSA investigation resulted in the prosecution of two individuals for physical abuse. The Commission considers that the NSA failed to conduct an effective investigation into Mr Fakhrawi's death, which would satisfy the relevant obligations under international law." It goes on to say "The Commission concludes that the death of Mr Fakhrawi is attributed to torture while in the custody of the NSA."
Context
In February 2011, the people of Bahrain started to protest in a wave known as the Arab Spring. The nationwide uprising in Bahrain is between the majority Shi'ite Muslims and some Sunni Muslims against the minority Sunni government.{{cite news|quote=The first protesters also included a fair proportion of Sunnis, who were fed up with the way the country has been run.|title=Bahrain tensions a trigger for Gulf turmoil|author=Jeremy Bowen|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-20606069|date=12 December 2012|access-date=9 September 2013|work=BBC News}} Since 15 February 2011, more than 80 anti-government protesters there had died, including four protesters that were in police custody at the time of their deaths. The anti-government political party, Al-Wefaq, has listed 453 protesters as apprehended, but a spokesperson for the group thinks the number is up towards 600 people arrested by the government.{{cite news|title=Funeral Procession of Martyr Abdul Karim Fakhrawi To be Held on April 13|access-date=25 March 2012|date=13 April 2011|url=http://abna.ir/data.asp?lang=3&id=236307|agency=Ahlul Bayt|archive-date=11 November 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131111002748/http://abna.ir/data.asp?lang=3&id=236307|url-status=dead}}
Impact
Zakariya Rashid Hassan al-Ashiri was the first to die in the uprising.{{cite web|title=Zakariya Rashid Hassan al-Ashiri|date=9 April 2011|access-date=25 March 2012|publisher=Committee to Protect Journalist|url=http://www.cpj.org/killed/2011/zakariya-rashid-hassan-al-ashiri.php}} Fakhrawi was the second journalist and the fourth person to die in government custody. In response to the two journalists who died, Irina Bokova, who was the director-general of UNESCO, called for an investigation looking into the death.{{cite web|publisher=UNESCO|title=Director-General calls for investigation into deaths in detention of media professionals in Bahrain|date=21 April 2011|access-date=27 February 2012|url=http://portal.unesco.org/ci/en/ev.php-URL_ID=31334&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html}} One year later, Ahmed Ismail Hassan, who was a citizen journalist uploading videos, was shot while taking videos of a protest and died.
References
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Category:Bahraini people of Iranian descent
Category:Journalists killed while covering the Arab Spring
Category:Bahraini torture victims