Two female British teachers behind bars in Oman after trying to rescue ‘mistreated dogs’
TWO British teachers have been detained in Oman for trying to rescue “abused dogs”, according to family members.
Jennifer Green, 33, and a female friend, who were working as English language teachers for the British Council in the Omani capital Muscat, are accused of stealing the dogs from their owner.
Ms Green’s brother, Mike Green, of County Durham, said the women were trying to “save two mistreated dogs” that had been left out in “scorching” heat.
He claimed they were initially released by police after agreeing to pay the dogs’ owner £4,000 but that when the case went to court, the judge called for a further investigation because he thought they had been drinking.
He said Ms Green and the other woman, whose name has not been released, were then charged with drinkdriving and public intoxication, accusations he said were without merit. “I’m worried sick,” he told The Sun. “She’s being locked up in prison for the last 12 days and because it’s Ramadan, nothing is happening.” Ms Green, who has been living in Oman for more than a year following postings in Colombia and Japan, was said not to have been initially concerned. “She phoned me when she was released. She didn’t seem too bothered about it at the time but it has obviously escalated since then,” Mr Green said.
A British Council spokesman said: “We are aware of an incident in relation to two British teachers employed locally in Oman. We cannot discuss the details of an ongoing legal case and await the outcome of due process by the Omani authorities.” A Foreign Office spokesman said: “We are providing support to two British women, and their families, following their arrest in Oman. We are in contact with the Omani authorities.”
Oman, a close military ally of the UK, is one of the most peaceful countries in the Middle East.
While an increasing number of Western tourists have begun visiting the conservative Muslim nation, arrests of foreigners are rare. Radha Stirling, of Detained in Dubai, a group that represents foreigners abroad, said the case was a “reminder there are vast cultural and legal disparities between the West and the Gulf States.
“Abusing animals apparently is not a crime in Oman, and rescuing an animal can apparently lead to abuse by the legal system. I would encourage the Omani government to intervene in this case before the suffering of these young women is prolonged any further.”
The Oman government did not respond to The Telegraph’s request for comment.