Authorities in Oman, led by the Internal Security Service, continue to target prominent human rights defender Awad Bin Ali Al-Sawafi.

Al-Sawafi, aged 48, is a well-known human rights activist. He graduated from Al-Buraimi University in law in 2019, and worked as a legal affairs researcher at the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Water Resources.

He was appointed to this ministry on 22 January 2014. On 23 September 2021, he was transferred to the Legal Affairs Department of the same ministry to work as a clerk, and due to the financial crisis and the lack of new appointments, he was seconded to work as a legal affairs researcher in the department and obtained authorisation from the Minister to represent the ministry before the courts and judicial authorities in the country.

He continued in this job until the decision to dismiss him was issued in March 2024, despite the fact that he holds a university degree and other certificates he obtained through his participation in training courses in addition to his accumulated experience over the years. His authorisation to represent the ministry was also cancelled, and he was maliciously transferred to work as an administrative clerk in the human resources department of the ministry.

On 13 May 2024, Al-Sawafi filed a grievance request with the Administrative Court, requesting to return to his previous job as a legal researcher, in which he continued for more than three years and in which he has a high record of efficiency and experience and the appreciation and recognition of his employer for his achievements.

On 30 June 2024, the Administrative Court in Sohar held a session headed by Judge Essam El-Din Abda Abdewahhab, who decided to dismiss the lawsuit he filed. The text of the ruling, a copy of which was reviewed by the Gulf Centre for Human Rights (GCHR), stated the following regarding the reasons for rejecting his request: “The contested decision was taken based on security reasons, and therefore the administration’s reliance on those security reasons is a justification for rejecting the plaintiff’s request in the present case.”

This decision clearly and explicitly reflects the encroachment of the Internal Security Service and its absolute control over the judiciary, which should be independent and capable of providing justice to all citizens and protecting their civil and human rights.

Al-Sawafi is a prominent human rights defender in Oman who has been continuously targeted by the Internal Security Service due to his peaceful and legitimate activities in the field of human rights.

On 15 March 2011, his home was raided by security forces and he was arrested on charges of assembly. He was sentenced, after a sham trial, to three months in prison and a fine of 1000 Omani riyals (approx. USD$2595). Since his arrest, he was subjected to severe psychological torture and solitary confinement for most of his sentence.

On 10 October 2012, he was arrested again and charged with insulting the Sultan, facing another unfair trial and being sentenced to one year in prison and a fine of 1000 Omani Rials. Once again, he was subjected to severe psychological torture and solitary confinement throughout his sentence.

On 12 March 2016, he was arrested for the third time by security forces who did not state the reason or direct any specific charges against him. He spent 19 days in solitary confinement without investigation or trial.

On 03 June 2020, he was arrested for the fourth time after his home was raided on charges of allegedly using information technology in a manner that would harm public order. He faced a trial that lacked the minimum international standards for a fair trial and due process, and was sentenced to one year in prison. He spent seven days of this sentence in solitary confinement and faced ill-treatment by his jailers.

In 2012, he ran for the Municipal Council but was reportedly excluded from the list for security reasons. He was subsequently nominated in 2023 for the Shura Council and was excluded from the final list, with the fingerprints of the Internal Security Service clearly evident in this exclusion.

GCHR expresses its full solidarity with prominent human rights defender Awad bin Ali Al-Sawafi, and denounces the ongoing targeting to which he has been subjected since 2011 until this day. GCHR calls on the authorities in Oman, including the Internal Security Service, to stop targeting him and violating his right to live in dignity in his homeland.

GCHR also calls on the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers, Margaret Satterthwaite, and the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders, Mary Lawlor, to urgently intervene in his case and ensure that the authorities do not target him in the future.