Talib Al Mamari ( born 24 May 1972) is an Omani activist, human rights defender award laureate and former parliamentarian who served in the Omani Consultative Assembly ("Majlis al-Shura)" from 2011 until he was arrested in 2013 after having taken part in a peaceful demonstration against pollution caused by the petrochemical industries in his native region of Liwa.
Born in the "Wilayah" (Province) of Liwa, in the Al Batinah North Governorate of Oman, Al Mamari worked as an Arabic language teacher before becoming president of the Arabic language section of Sohar University for 12 years. Following parliamentary reform in Oman that took place in 2011, Al Mamari was elected to the Omani Consultative Assembly ("Majlis al-Shura)," the lower house of the Council Of Oman, which assists the government in drawing up the general policies of the state while representing his "Wilayah" (Province) of Liwa.
Al Mamari received widespread attention in 2013 - 2014 when he was arrested in August 2013 for participating in an environmental protest which prompted a number of human rights organisations and nations to issue statements calling for his release and a United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention (UNGAD) opinion was made (No. 53/2014), stating that his detention was arbitrary and his right to freedom of expression was violated. He was charged with "harming the State's prestige", "obstructing traffic", and "disturbing public order.", and sentenced for three years before being granted a royal pardon.
Early life.
Talib Ahmad Muhammad Al Mamari was born on 24 May 1972 in the "Wilayah" (Province) of Liwa, in the Al Batinah North Governorate. Al Mamari worked as an Arabic language teacher before becoming president of the Arabic language section of Sohar University for 12 years. He was then detained in Sohar during the Arab Spring protests in early 2011. He was eventually released without any conviction. He then ran for elections and won a seat in the Shura Council in 2011 after parliamentary reform.
Protest and arrest.
Protest.
On August 22, 2013, Al Mamari, among others, were involved in a peaceful demonstration against industrial pollution posing a health hazard for those living in Liwa. Eyewitnesses told Times of Oman that the demonstrators, both men and women, wearing traditional Omani clothes, protested with placards in their hands on a dirt road outside the Sohar Port. "We have been breathing poison. Have mercy on us, we want clean air," read one placard carried by a young man, one of the eyewitnesses said. It is alleged that numerous security force agents fired tear gas and used a water cannon to disperse the crowd, resulting in injuries to many individuals, including to Al Mamari.
Arrest.
On 23 August 2013, Al Mamari is reported to have met with Shura Council members and security authorities to discuss the protests and the response of the security forces. After the meeting, Al Mamari returned to his brother, Captain Murad Al Maamari's house in the early hours of 24 August 2013, where he was staying at the time. Upon his arrival, it is alleged that the house was surrounded by dozens of police cars. A large number of police officers then entered the house and arrested him who was charged with the offence of “gathering in public”.
Arrested and placed in detention, he was held in solitary confinement in the Muscat National Security Prison and was not authorised to see his lawyer during the whole period preceding his appeal. His brother Captain Murad Al Maamari stated: "Last Friday, my brother had access to his lawyer for the first time since his detention 14 days ago,” adding that during interrogation Dr. Al Mamari had denied the charges of inciting the crowd. In December 2013, the Court of Muscat sentenced Al Mamari to four years in prison and a 500 Rials (about 1,300 US dollars) fine for "harming the State's prestige" as well as one year for "disturbing public order" and "obstructing traffic". Retried a number of times, his final sentence was reduced to three years by the Court of Appeal in October 2014.
On May 7th, 2014, several Omani citizens were arrested for unknown reasons, with many of their relatives speculating that it was due to their demand for the release of Talib Al-Mamari and their communication with several human rights organizations regarding this matter.
All of this prompted a number of human rights organisations and nations to issue statements calling for his release and a United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention (UNGAD) opinion was made (No. 53/2014), stating that his detention was arbitrary and his right to freedom of expression was violated. Nevertheless, the Omani authorities did not comply with the request of the WGAD to release Al Mamari and he remained in custody.
Release.
Al Mamari was released from Sama'il prison near Muscat, the capital of Oman on the 4th of May, 2016 on a royal pardon from the late Sultan Qaboos.
Awards.
On the 8th of December, 2015, while he was still imprisoned, Al Mamari received Alkarama, a Geneva-based human rights organisation's 2015 Award for Human Rights Defenders in the Arab World, in recognition of his significant work defending human rights in the country. Alkarama stated, "His nomination honours Al Mamari's courage speaking up for the Omani civil society before the Parliament and reminding both the government and petrochemical companies of their obligations." Mourad Dhina, Executive Director at Alkarama, stated: 
 "Talib Al Mamari is a prisoner of conscience and a courageous human rights defender. By his unwavering non-violent fight against harmful environmental policies in Oman, he has become a model in the region as a dedicated militant who is genuinely close to the citizens' concerns. Alkarama is proud to honour him."