Update: Oman: On 19 August 2016, writer and poet Mohammed Al-Harthi has been released from detention.
2016-08-19
Reports received from Oman confirm that the Internal Security Service (ISS) has arrested the writer and poet Mohammed Al-Harthi, as part of an ongoing series of freedom of expression violations in the country.
On the morning of 18 August 2016, the ISS arrested Al-Harthi for interrogation, and he is being detained at the Special Division of the Omani Police General Command in the capital, Muscat. According to reliable reports received by the Gulf Centre for Human Rights (GCHR), he has no access to his family or a lawyer.
Al-Harthi is a well-known writer and poet in Oman. He has won many awards including the 2014 Award for outstanding cultural achievement in Oman. He has published many poetry books since 1992 such as “Eyes of the whole day”, “Far from Zanzibar”, “Mosaic of Eve” and “The game that does not get bored”. He also participated in the popular protests in 2011.
There is a strong belief that Al-Harthi’s arrest and detention are based on tweets on his twitter account in which he expressed solidarity with the three detained journalists from “Azamn” newspaper Ibrahim Al-Maamari, Yousef Al-Haj, Zaher Al-Abri, as well as the writer Hammoud Al-Shukaily, in addition to expressing his own views against corruption in the country.
For more information about recent human rights violations committed by the Omani ISS, see the following link: https://www.gc4hr.org/news/index/country/6
GCHR expresses serious concern at the detention of Mohammed Al-Harthi, which it believes is solely due to his peaceful activities on the Internet. GCHR believes that he is being targeted as part of an ongoing trend by the ISS of targeting writers, human rights defenders including journalists and online activists which is endangering freedom of expression in Oman.
GCHR urges the authorities in Oman to:
- Immediately and unconditionally release the writer and poet Mohammed Al-Harthi, in addition to Ibrahim Al-Maamari, Yousef Al-Haj and Zaher Al-Abri of “Azamn” newspaper, as well as the writer Hammoud Al-Shukaily; and
- Guarantee in all circumstances that all human rights defenders including journalists, writers and on-line 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.
GCHR respectfully reminds the Omani authorities 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.”
