Freedom of expression remained unduly restricted, including through prosecutions of and sentences against individuals for publishing COVID-19-related information deemed “false” by the government. Oman amended the Foreign Residency Law, removing the requirement for foreign workers to obtain a “no...

The Omani Internal Security Agency has subjected Masoud Ali Abdullah al-Shahi, a member of the Shuhuh tribe, to an enforced disappearance, a crime under international law, since his arbitrary arrest on 19 December 2021. His whereabouts are unknown and he is at risk of torture or ill-treatment....

Oman sentenced six defendants to life imprisonment for “infringement of the country’s independence or unity or the sanctity of its territory” after grossly unfair trials. The charges were based on the six men’s online browsing habits in relation to Oman’s Musandam province and the Shuhuh tribe that...

On 24 September, an Omani court is expected to issue its verdict in the case of four detainees from the province of Musandam [ Ali Ahmed Rajab al-Obaidi al-Shahi; Ali Mohammed Ali Mazyud al-Shahi; Mohammed Abdullah Ahmed bin Rahma al-Shahi and Mohammed Sulaiman Mohammed Mazyud al-Shahi]....

Since 6 April, Omani authorities have launched a series of arbitrary detentions of individuals from Musandam province. The security forces are currently holding five persons incommunicado and without charges. They are believed to be in the custody of the Internal Security Service in the capital...

On 26 December, the Appeal Court in Muscat reduced the three-year prison sentences of two Azamn journalists, Ibrahim al-Maamari and Youssef al-Haj, to six and 12 months respectively. They are prisoners of conscience. A third Azamn journalist, Zahar al-Abri, was acquitted.

The Appeal Court in Muscat postponed to 12 December its decision on the case of the three Azamn journalists, Ibrahim al-Maamari, Youssef al-Hajj and Zaher al-Abri. They face up to three years in prison. If detained, they would be prisoners of conscience.

Azamn editor-in-chief Ibrahim al-Maamari and deputy editor-in-chief Youssef al-Haj were released on 10 October after the Appeal Court in Muscat reduced their bail. The next hearing in the case has been set for 7 November.

An Omani court of first instance issued its verdict on 26 September against three journalists from the daily Azamn newspaper. Two of the journalists received three-year prison sentences and the third a one-year prison sentence. The court also upheld a government order to permanently close the Azamn...

The trial of two detained Omani journalists in connection with articles they published alleging corruption in the judiciary, and a third journalist for his tweets, is ongoing. A verdict is expected on 19 September in two of the cases.

Omani prisoner of conscience Saeed Jaddad was released from prison on 26 August, having served nine months of a one-year prison sentence under Oman’s cybercrimes law for a blog he wrote in October 2014.

Omani writer, journalist and human rights activist Sulaiman al-Ma’mari was released without charge on 19 May, following 22 days detained in solitary confinement. The Omani authorities have yet to give a reason for Sulaiman al-Ma’mari’s arrest.

Omani poet, writer, film critic and human rights defender, Abdullah Habib was released without charge on 4 May.