On the morning of 13 July 2014, human rights defender, Noah Saadi, received a call from the security forces in which he was summoned to appear before the Special Division of the Oman Police in Muscat. Noah Al-Saadi expressed his willingness to attend the next day. However, according to reliable reports, he was kidnapped on the evening of the same day while he was walking in one of the streets of his neighborhood “Shinas” by an unknown group believed to be part of the security forces and was taken to an unknown location.

Noah Al-Saadi is one of the well-known human rights defenders in Oman. He writes on social networking websites and highlights the situation of prisoners of conscience in Oman.

The Gulf Centre for Human Rights (GCHR) expresses serious concern at the kidnapping of Noah Al-Saadi and for his physical and psychological integrity, as his whereabouts are unknown. The GCHR believes Noah Al-Saadi’s kidnapping to be solely motivated by his human rights work and views this act as part of an ongoing crackdown on human rights defenders in Oman.

The GCHR urges the authorities in Oman to: 

1. Ensure the release of  human rights defender Noah Al-Saadi immediately and unconditionally;
2. Guarantee the physical and psychological integrity and security of Noah Al-Saadi;
3. Open an immediate, independent, impartial and thorough investigation into the kidnapping of Noah Al-Saadi with a view to publishing the results and bringing those responsible to justice in accordance with international standards;
4. Guarantee in all circumstances that all human rights defenders in Oman are able to carry out their legitimate human rights activities without fear of reprisals and free of all restrictions including judicial harassment. 

The GCHR respectfully reminds you that the United Nations Declaration on the Right and Responsibility of Individuals, Groups and Organs of Society to Promote and Protect Universally Recognized Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, adopted by consensus by the UN General Assembly on 9 December 1998, recognizes the legitimacy of the activities of human rights defenders, their right to freedom of association and to carry out their activities without fear of reprisals. We would particularly draw your attention to Article 6 (c) “Everyone has the right, individually and in association with others: (c) To study, discuss, form and hold opinions on the observance, both in law and in practice, of all human rights and fundamental freedoms and, through these and other appropriate means, to draw public attention to those matters” and to Article 12.2, which provides that “the State shall take all necessary measures to ensure the protection by the competent authorities of everyone, individually and in association with others, against any violence, threats, retaliation, de facto or de jure adverse discrimination, pressure or any other arbitrary action as a consequence of his or her legitimate exercise of the rights referred to in the present Declaration”.