Karim Fakhrawi

Karim Fakhrawi, also known as Abdulkarim Ali Ahmed Fakhrawi ( – 12 April 2011), 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. He was the second professional media worker to be killed during the Bahraini uprising, and one of three journalists killed in total.

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". Karim Fakhrawi was a Shi'ite Muslim of Persian origin (Ajam) who lived in Manama.

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.

Death

Fakhrawi was taken into custody 5 April 2011 when he went to a police station to complain that police were threatening to demolish his home. The evidence was discovered in the process of burial, when his clothes were removed and his torture marks were documented and released. 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. 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. One year later, Ahmed Ismail Hassan, who was a citizen journalist uploading videos, was shot while taking videos of a protest and died.