Zakariya Rashid Hassan al-Ashiri

Zakariya Rashid Hassan Al-Ashiri , also spelled Al Asheri and Aushayri, (1971– April 9, 2011), was a Bahraini blogger and journalist, who worked as an editor and writer for a local blog news website in Al Dair, Bahrain. He was killed on April 9, 2011, while in custody of the Bahraini Government. Al-Ashiri was the first journalist in Bahrain to die in direct relation to his work since The Committee to Protect Journalists started keeping records in 1992, and he was the first to die in the Bahraini uprising (2011–present).

Al-Ashiri was also the second blogger-journalist worldwide to have been killed for his blogging. Al-Ashiri follows the death two years earlier of Iranian Omid Reza Mir Sayafi, who was the first blogger known to have been killed for his publication. Two months after Al-Ashiri, Brazilian blogger Edinaldo Filgueira was killed in June 2011.

Personal Zakariya Rashid Hassan Al-Ashiri was born in the village of Al-Dair in 1971, where he reported and edited his internet website.

The protests continued for several months after. Police forces raided Shia homes, carried out beatings at checkpoints, and denied those in need of medical attention. As a result, nearly 800 people were arrested and a total of four were reported dead while in government custody.

Investigation The Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry (BICI) conducted an investigation into deaths and torture claims among other civil rights abuses committed during the protests.

The Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry released its report 23 November 2011, and in the report, Al-Ashiri's case (no. 24) was investigated and classified under "Deaths Caused by Torture." The Commission's fact finding documents confirmed that Al-Ashiri did have bruises over his body from torture and died while at the Dry Dock Detention Centre and in custody of the Ministry of Interior. A witness who was in detention with him said Al-Ashiri was beaten and he heard a guard say, "He is dead," at which point those in the same cell were moved.

Reactions In response to his death, the Newseum in Washington, D.C., added his name along with other journalists who have died while reporting to the Journalists Memorial Wall.