Oman paper shut, journalists jailed

Daily published reports that alleged corruption in the country’s judicial system

An Omani court yesterday upheld a government order to permanently close a national newspaper and jailed three of its journalists for undermining the state, judicial sources said.

Ebrahim Al Mamari, editorin-chief, Yousuf Al Haj, editor, and Zahir Al Abri, reporter, were held in detention for more than a month before the trial after the daily published reports in July that alleged corruption in the country’s judicial system.

Based on the charges read at court, the three were convicted of disturbing public order, undermining the prestige of the state, and misusing the internet, the sources said.

Fined

The court sentenced Al Mamari, Al Haj and Al Abri to a prison sentence of one year each. The court also fined Al Mamari and Al Haj 3,000 riyals (Dh28,616) each, and Al Abri 1,000 riyals (Dh9,538).

It also ordered Al Zaman to close its offices permanently. If they want to appeal the verdict, Al Mamari and Al Haj have to pay 50,000 riyals each while Al Abri has to pay 5,000 riyals (Dh 47,695).

Defence lawyer Yaqoob Al Harthi told Gulf News yesterday that the journalists will challenge the judgement on the reporters as well as the closure of the newspaper.

The case, which has polarised public opinion in Oman, has garnered regional and international attention.

Last month, the Omani government ordered to close its offices after it published two reports accusing top officials in the government of pressuring the judiciary to change a ruling in an inheritance case.

The government argued, in a statement run by the staterun news agency ONA, that the newspaper violated freedom of expression by running the reports.

The government promised legal action against the journalists but said freedom of expression “remains an authentic value that cannot be evaded and that freedom of expression should become a responsible action that is not motivated by any personal impulses”.

The daily published on July 27 a story entitled ‘Supreme bodies tie the hands of justice’, accusing government officials of pressuring top Supreme Court judges to overturn a decision in an inheritance case.

Al Haj interviewed the vice-president of the Supreme Court who said that the judiciary is in a “pitiful state” and there are many violations.

Speaking to Al Hayat newspaper, a top Omani official said that newspapers were publishing such news after the government suspended financial support to local newspapers due to an economic crisis caused by the slump in oil prices.