On 14 April 2013, human rights defender and blogger Dr Salih Al-Azri was arrested after being summoned for questioning to the Special Branch at the General Police Headquarters in the capital of Muscat. Dr Salih Al-Azri is an active human rights defender and blogger who has been at the forefront of promoting freedom of expression and defending the rights of the detained human rights defenders in Oman through social media such as Facebook.

On the evening of 13 April 2013 Dr Salih Al-Azri received a call from Oman Internal Security  (“Mokabarat-intelligence”)  asking him to bring his personal identity documents and appear before the special branch, to whom he went the next morning on 14 April 2013 at around 9 am, and since then has been held incommunicado and could not be contacted by his family or his lawyer.

The Gulf Centre for Human Rights (GCHR) believes that the arrest and detention of Dr Salih Al-Azri  is directly related to his work in the defence of human rights, particularly freedom of expression and detained activists’ rights. The GCHR sees this as forming part of a pattern of ongoing harassment against human rights defenders in Oman, and fears for the physical and psychological integrity of Dr Salih Al-Azri.

The GCHR once more urges the authorities in Oman to: 

1. Immediately and unconditionally release Dr Salih Al-Azri, as it is believed that these measures have been taken against him solely on account of his legitimate and peaceful work in the defence of human rights;
2. Ensure that the treatment of Dr Salih Al-Azri, whilst in detention, adheres to all those conditions set out in the “Basic Principles for the Treatment of Prisoners”, adopted by General Assembly Resolution 45/111 of 14 December 1990;
3. 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.”