[2][14] His father was Arsi Oromo, of Muslim faith, while his mother an Orthodox Christian; the inter-religious union was novel but gained acceptance within the community.

[16] He attended secondary school in Adama until 2003, when he was awarded a scholarship to study at the United World College of South East Asia in Singapore, from which he graduated in 2005.

[14]On 30 June 2020, Jawar along with Bekele Gerba, Eskinder Nega and Sintayew Chekol were arrested by government amidst a riot sparked after singer Hachalu Hundessa murder.

[17] On 7 January 2022, the Ethiopian government announced it would release several political prisoners including Jawar, stating it was "to pave the way for a lasting solution to Ethiopia’s problems in a peaceful, non-violent way" through a “national dialogue”.

[18] Jawar published a 500 page memoir titled I Will Not Regret (Amharic: አልፀፀትም, Oromo: Hin Gaabbu on 19 December 2024 and unveiled in Nairobi, Kenya.