Poet Saeed Al Hashmi, journalist Baasma Rajhi, lawyer Basma Al Kiyumi, Nasser Al Gailani, Mahmoud Al Rawahi, Badar Al Jabri, Mohammad Al Janadi and Abdullah Al Gilani were all sentenced to a year in prison and fined 200 Omani riyals (Dh1,901) for wrongful gathering. All eight were released on bail after paying 1000 riyals for the appeal. Osama Al Thuwaiya, who was also given one-year sentence for violating cyber law and defaming the country’s Ruler, was also granted bail pending appeal on October 17. He also had to pay 1,000 riyals for filing his appeal.
Three others — Mukhtar Al Hinai, Khalid Al Nofli and Mohammad Al Fazari — who were also given one-year prison terms and 200-riyal fines for wrongful gathering were denied bail as there are other pending cases against them. Hearing in the cases of 12 other detainees, including leading activists like Esmail Al Muqbali, Sultan Al Sa’adi and Nabhan Hanashi were also deferred to August 26. All of them face charges of wrongful gathering and inciting others with provocative speeches.
So far, the Muscat Primary Court has sentenced 29 people for either allegedly defaming Sultan Qaboos Bin Saeed or committing cybercrime or for wrongful gatherings. After a lull in demonstrations and protests in the country for almost over six months, a group of Omani employees of contractors hired by oil companies launched a strike. Former international volleyball player Habiba Al Hinai, Sohar activist Esmail Al Muqbali and Yaqoub Al Kharusi even visited an oil field and openly expressed solidarity with striking workers. All the three were arrested.
The arrests triggered further protests in Muscat and a flurry of angry posts on social media websites.
The security agencies then cracked down on protesters as well as those violating cyber laws of the country. Over 40 people were held but some were later released and the remaining are facing trial.
Following protests in Tunisia and Egypt, Oman also witnessed peaceful demonstrations last year, starting with a Green March on January 17. The largely peaceful demonstrations were mainly confined to Sohar, Muscat, Salalah, Sur, Ibri and some other places.
However, towards the end of February last year, the protests in Sohar turned violent and saw about six people killed in police action. The protesters were mainly demanding jobs, better pay and working conditions and the removal of some alleged corrupt officials.
Sultan Qaboos took prompt action by ordering the creation of 50,000 new jobs, instituted unemployment allowances and replaced ministers resented by protesters with elected members of the Shura. The Sultan also granted more powers to the 84-member elected Shura council.
The protests have since died down, except for sporadic slogan-shouting by private sector employees for better wages and working conditions.
