The Gulf Centre for Human Rights (GCHR) strongly condemns the arrest and arbitrary detention of prominent human rights lawyer Majid bin Abdullah bin Saeed Al-Ruhaili by Omani authorities for peacefully expressing his opinions on social media.

Credible reports received by GCHR confirm that on 08 February 2026 in the evening, plainclothes officers from the Special Division of the Omani police in Muscat arrested Al-Ruhaili in front of his home and took him to an undisclosed location, where he remains arbitrarily detained incommunicado.

Informed local sources stated that he has been denied contact with his family or legal counsel and is being held in a prison run by the Special Division, which serves as the executive arm of the Internal Security Service (ISS). These same sources emphasised that his arrest is linked to recent posts he made on his personal X account.

He was previously arrested by the Internal Security Agency on 11 December 2022, and released on 04 January 2023. This time, too, the motive was his opinions expressed on social media.

Al-Ruhaili uses his X account, which features the tagline “I was created to speak out when everyone else is silent,” to express his outspoken views on public affairs and his desire for comprehensive reform.

On the day of his arrest, he posted the following on his X account: “Nonsense and a waste of time” in his comments on a meeting in which the Crown Prince spoke.

On 27 January 2026, he expressed his solidarity with writer Dr. Omama Al-Lawati, who was also arrested for her outspoken opinions expressed on social media.

On 27 January 2026, he wrote: “The homeland is not inherited nor monopolised… The homeland belongs to everyone.”

GCHR strongly condemns the arbitrary arrest and detention of human rights lawyer Majid Al-Ruhaili. This is undoubtedly part of a systematic pattern of repression that the Internal Security Service and its executive arm, the Special Division, have been persistently pursuing for years to suppress public freedoms, including freedom of expression online and offline.

Recommendations

GCHR urges the authorities in Oman to:

1. Immediately release human rights lawyer Majid bin Abdullah bin Saeed Al-Ruhaili and end his targeting;

2. Protect the public freedoms of citizens, particularly freedom of expression online and offline, and cease the harassment of human rights defenders in Oman; and

3. Guarantee, under all circumstances, that human rights defenders in Oman can carry out their legitimate human rights work without fear of reprisal and without undue restrictions, including judicial harassment.