Ibrahim Sharif

Who is Ibrahim Sharif?

Ibrahim Sharif al-Sayed is an opposition political activist in Bahrain, currently serving as the General Secretary of the secular liberal National Democratic Action Society. He succeeded former General Secretary Abdulrahman al-Nuaimi, who fell into a coma in April 2007 and died in 2011. Sharif was formerly associated with the underground leftist Popular Front for the Liberation of Bahrain. Sharif is a Sunni Muslim.

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. Shortly after, Amnesty International reported allegations that he was being tortured by state security forces while in detention. The organization named him a prisoner of conscience, and called for his immediate release.

On 22 March 2011, the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Bahrain announced a decision to revoke all licenses from Bahraini telecom firm 2Connect, of which more than 10 percent was owned by Sharif as of 22 March 2011. 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. 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. 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.