Oman Sentences Protesters

Reuters reports that today in Oman, 55 protesters were sentenced to prison terms, mostly one to three months with one protester receiving a one year sentence. The sentenced were among hundreds arrested this spring for participating in protests in the eastern town of Jaalan Bani Bu Ali, calling for jobs, higher wages, and an end to corruption. The Public Prosecutor said in a statement that “The 55 protesters were accused of offences including robbery, unlawful gathering and vandalizing government departments.”

The Associated Press reports that 15 protesters were sentenced today, citing official sources speaking anonymously and without authorization to brief the media. Security forces have reportedly tightened their hold in Oman since cracking down on protesters last month.

And Gulf News writes that the Misdemeanour Court of First Instance in Muscat sentenced seven protesters to the maximum five-year term, in the harshest punishment for activists in Oman thus far. Comparing the punishment of these activists with the sentences received by other protesters, Ismail Al Mukhbali, an activist from Sohar, said ”We are really disappointed with the severe prison term handed out to seven activists from Sohar compared to sentences given to protesters from Jalan Bani Bu and Ibri.”