Bahrain court acquits Shiite ex-MP

A court in Manama on Monday acquitted a former MP who is a member of Bahrain's largest opposition formation Al-Wefaq Shiite grouping who was accused of "unlawful assembly in public areas," he told AFP.

"The last charge against me has been dropped," said Matar Matar, who had been charged with "undermining public security by assembling with a group of more than five people."

In August Bahrain ordered the release of Matar and another Al-Wefaq member, Jawad Fayruz, who were both arrested last May after a crackdown on Shiite-led protests.

The court had already dropped two of the three charges Matar was being tried for -- calling for regime change and spreading rumours linked to pro-democracy protests in the Gulf kingdom.

Matar and Fayruz were among 18 Shiite MPs who resigned last year in protest at the government's crackdown on Shiite-led demonstrations that erupted on February 14, 2011. Fayruz's trial is still continuing.

Last year's crackdown left 35 people dead, according to an independent commission of inquiry into the violence.