Matar Matar | |
---|---|
Born |
Matar Ebrahim Ali Matar 3 May 1976 Bahrain |
Nationality | Bahraini |
Education | Master's degree in Computer Science (Artificial Intelligence) from Kuwait University |
Occupation | Politician |
Years active | (2002–present) |
Organization | Al Wefaq |
Spouse(s) | Amal Habib |
Children |
|
Awards | Leaders of Democracy Award (Project on Middle East Democracy) |
Website |
Matar Ebrahim Ali Matar (also spelled Mattar Mattar; Arabic: مطر إبراهيم علي مطر; born 3 May 1976) is a Bahraini politician of the Al Wefaq party who served as a Member of Parliament (MP) from October 2010 until his resignation in early 2011. Born in the village of Al Daih to a large family with diverse political views, Matar completed his secondary education in Bahrain and moved to Kuwait to pursue higher education. He remained there until 2002 when he returned to Bahrain and joined Al Wefaq political party. Matar was politically active, working within committees in the party and meeting with foreign officials. In 2010, he won with a large margin in the Parliamentary election, becoming the youngest of all MPs and representing the country's largest constituency.
When the Bahraini uprising started in early 2011, Matar joined the protests and gave several interviews to international media. Following government crackdown, he and other party MPs resigned from Parliament. Due to his activism, Matar was arrested by authorities in May. He was allegedly kept in solitary confinement and subjected to torture while in detention before getting tried before a military court. He was released in August and acquitted of charges in February 2012. His arrest, alleged mistreatment and subsequent release triggered several international reactions by international bodies and NGOs such as the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Inter-Parliamentary Union, Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch. Following his release, Matar continued his political activism.