Abdul Karim Al-Khaiwani
Journalist Abdul Karim Al Khaiwani receives Amnesty International Special Award for Human Rights Journalism under Threat
Al Khaiwani 'a very special journalist'
Abdul Karim is a very special journalist. He is one of those rare breed of journalists, some of the bravest and the most determined - those who are prepared to sacrifice their personal and professional lives for the public good.
Abdul Karim Al-Khaiwani was a prominent Yemeni journalist and the former Editor-in-Chief of the pro-democracy online newspaper, Al-Shoura. He advocated for the right to freedom of expression in Yemen and has been vocal against the corruption of the Saleh government though his writings. The human rights defender received the Special Award for Human Rights Journalism Under Threat by Amnesty International in 2008. Abdul-Karim al-Khaiwani was killed by armed gunmen on 18 March 2015.
Human rights defenders (HRDs) in Yemen have been subjected to harassment, arbitrary arrest, threats of fabricated prosecutions, physical attacks and surveillance as well as restrictions to their right to freedom of expression, association and assembly. They were heavily affected by the reaction to the mass protests that broke out during the early months of 2011 as well as by the ongoing conflict.
