Prof. Bassiouni passes away in Bahrain

Manama : International lawyer and human rights defender Professor M. Cherif Bassiouni passed away yesterday. He was 79. Born in Cairo in 1937, Bassiouni was a leading personality in the fields of international criminal law, international human rights law and the international humanitarian law.

Bassiouni devoted his career to investigating human rights abuses, torture and war crimes.

He was tasked by His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa to head the Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry to look into the 2011 events. Bassiouni presented a detailed report to HM the King, documenting all sorts of abuses, human rights violations and the direct Iranian influence on the Kingdom at that time. It included several recommendations that the Government worked diligently on implementing. He visited Bahrain again in May last year.

The deceased is survived by wife Elaine Klemen-Bassiouni, stepdaughter Lisa Capitanini and two grandchildren. Foreign Affairs Minister Shaikh Khalid bin Ahmed Al Khalifa mourned the death of Bassiouni on his official Twitter page saying, “He said the truth and didn’t add anything to it. May Allah the Almighty Bestow His Mercy on Professor M. Cherif Bassiouni. Our condolences to his family and Egypt.”