On 14 January 2016, “Mowaten” (“Citizen”) magazine published a statement in which it announced that it would stop publishing until further notice because of what it described as “circumstances beyond its control, the most important being the safety of writers and journalists of “Mowaten”.”

Reports received by the Gulf Centre for Human Rights (GCHR) confirmed that human rights defender Basma Al-Badi, one of the editors of the magazine, has been summoned to appear for investigation before the Special Division of the Omani Police General Command (which is the executive arm of the Internal Security Services (ISS)) in the capital, Muscat. She was interrogated for three days in a row and forced to sign a pledge not to work with “Mowaten” and to break her ties with all human rights activists.

It’s worth mentioning that human rights defender and Editor of “Mowaten”, Mohammed Al-Fazari, arrived in the United Kingdom on 17 July 2015, despite the fact that the authorities imposed a travel ban on him and put him under house arrest. He managed to flee the country despite having had his personal documents (passport and personal card) confiscated by the authorities. On 22 July 2015, his brother, Mahmoud Al-Fazari, was summoned to appear for investigation before the Special Division in Muscat and only released on 06 August 2015.

“Mowaten” magazine, according to its website, is a “local independent electronic magazine concerned with the events of Omani society and its issues, and takes the diversity of ideas, the free space in expression, and the adoption of new writers, and the strength of constructive and influential offering on society a helm to work.” The last version issued has the number 25 and was published in December 2015. The magazine focused on human rights issues and the protection of public freedoms in Oman.

The GCHR expresses deep concern over the ongoing systematic campaign of the ISS, apparently under direct guidance from the higher authorities, to crack down on public rights and freedoms and the elimination of the human rights movement in the country.

The GCHR urges the authorities in Oman to:

1. Stop immediately and without any conditions the harassment of the magazine “Mowaten” and the targeting of its writers and editors, and respect public freedoms, including the freedom of opinion and expression for all citizens including Internet activists;
2. Release all detained human rights defenders and other prisoners of conscience and drop all charges against them immediately and unconditionally;
3. Guarantee in all circumstances that all human rights defenders and Internet activists 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.”