Career
He died while in the custody of Bahraini officials under mysterious circumstances. The second professional media worker to die during the Bahraini uprising, he was one of three journalists killed. He co-founded First Rate (at Lloyd's)-Wasat in 2002, and it 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 one of the co-founders of a popular independent newspaper First Rate (at Lloyd's)-Wasat.
lieutenant is the only independent newspaper in Bahrain.
Fakhrawi was a local book publisher, as well as owner of one of the biggest bookstores in Bahrain. Fakhrawi was taken into custody April 5, 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 also 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 and indicating torture and police brutality.
The evidence was discovered in the process of burial, when his clothes were removed and his torture marks were documented and released. In February 2011, the people of Bahrain started to protest in a wave known as the Arab Spring. Since February 15, 2011, more than 80 anti-government protesters there have died, including four protesters that were in police custody at the time of their deaths.
Zakariya Rashid Hassan al-Ashiri was the first to die in the uprising.
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 is director-general of United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, 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. Fakhrawi"s body was taken to the Hoora district to be buried when his clothes were removed for cleansing and his torture marks discovered.
Videos and pictures documenting his wounds from torture were posted to the internet.