Ibrahim Sharif

For the Bey of Tunis 1702-1705, see Ibrahim Sharif of Tunis
Ibrahim Sharif
Ibrahim Sharif campaign meeting ahead of the 2006 parliamentary election. Sharif second to the left, Munira Fakhro on the right side of the table.
General Secretary of National Democratic Action Society (Wa'ad)
In office
2005–Present
Personal details
Born (1957-05-15) May 15, 1957 (age 67)
Bahrain
Political partyWa'ad
Other political
affiliations		Popular Front for the Liberation of Bahrain (former)
ProfessionPolitician, Activist

Ibrahim Sharif al-Sayed (Arabic: ابراهيم شريف السيد) is an opposition political activist in Bahrain, currently serving as the General Secretary of the secular socialist National Democratic Action Society (Wa'ad).[1][2] He succeeded former General Secretary Abdulrahman al-Nuaimi, who fell into a coma in April 2007 and died in 2011.[3] Sharif was formerly associated with the underground Arab nationalist and Marxist Popular Front for the Liberation of Bahrain.[citation needed] Sharif is a Sunni Muslim.[1]

On 17 March 2011, Sharif was arrested in his home in Manama for his role in the Bahraini uprising, which called for greater political freedom and for the rights of the Shia majority.[4] Shortly after, Amnesty International reported allegations that he was being tortured by state security forces while in detention.[4] The organization named him a prisoner of conscience, and called for his immediate release.[4]

On 22 March 2011, the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Bahrain announced a decision to revoke all licenses from Bahraini telecom firm 2Connect,[5] of which more than 10 percent was owned by Sharif as of 22 March 2011.[6] According to the Gulf Daily News, rumors of the suspension had been circulating since 14 March 2011, although the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority had initially denied these rumors.[7] In a statement to the Gulf Daily News on 23 March 2011, founder and managing director Fahad Shirawi revealed that the company had initiated a process to ensure that the company was 100% owned by himself, a group of Saudi investors, and the employees.[8] The decision to revoke 2Connect's licenses was reversed on 13 April 2011. Also on 13 April 2011, 2Connect released a statement saying that Shirawi was stepping down from his position as managing director and leaving 2Connect after seven years of service, for personal reasons.[9]

Sharif was sentenced to five years in prison on 22 June 2011.[10] In September 2012, an appeal court upheld his sentence, despite determining that the evidence against him had been obtained by means of torture. [11]

Sharif was released from imprisonment on 20 June 2015.[12]

  1. ^ a b Divided Islamists face poll erosion in Bahrain, The National (Abu Dhabi), Oct 15, 2010
  2. ^ In Bahrain, a Referendum on Promises, New York Times, Nov 25, 2006
  3. ^ "Bahrain opposition figure al-Nuaimi dies". Forbes. Associated Press. 2011-09-01. Retrieved 2011-09-04.[dead link‍]
  4. ^ a b c "Further Information on UA 79/11 (18 March 2011) and follow-ups (23 March 2011; 12 April 2011) – Prisoners of conscience/ Risk of Torture" (PDF). Amnesty International. 20 April 2011. Retrieved 18 April 2011.
  5. ^ "Telecom regulator pulls the plug on 2Connect". Gulf Daily News. 22 March 2011.
  6. ^ Surk, Barbara (22 March 2011). "Mourners Bury Bahraini Woman Killed in Unrest". Associated Press.
  7. ^ "TRA denies withdrawing firm licence". Gulf Daily News. 17 March 2011.
  8. ^ Singh, Mandeep (23 March 2011). "2Connect 'ready for inspections'". Gulf Daily News.
  9. ^ Singh, Mandeep (14 April 2011). "2Connect's founder to resign". Gulf Daily News.
  10. ^ Lara El Gibaly and David Jolly (22 June 2011). "8 Bahrain Activists Get Life Sentences". The New York Times. Retrieved 23 January 2012.
  11. ^ Tom Mailowski (3 October 2012). "Unsung heroes". Foreign Policy. Retrieved 18 October 2012.
  12. ^ "Bahrain frees Sunni opposition leader Ibrahim Sharif after 4 years of imprisonment". The Times of India. 21 June 2015. Retrieved 21 June 2015.