Reliable reports received by the Gulf Centre for Human Rights (GCHR) confirmed that writer and online activist Mohammed Ali Bakhit (Abu Ali Al-Barami) has been released in Oman, after being acquitted of the charges against him.
On 07 March 2024, security forces in the city of Salalah, the administrative and commercial center of Dhofar Governorate, arbitrarily arrested and detained him in an unknown location and held him incommunicado from the outside world.
Some local reports confirmed that he was detained in one of the prisons affiliated with the Special Division of the Omani Police Command in Dhofar Governorate. The Special Division is the executive arm of the Internal Security Service that issued the arrest warrant for him.
On 30 March 2024, the Court of First Instance in Salalah decided to acquit him of the charges against him, which centered around allegedly distorting the government’s image and directing insulting criticism at its ministers, and related to the personal opinions he published on social media networks.
Al-Barami is a well-known writer in Oman, and among the books he has written is “Men from Dhofar,” a valuable book that deals with the biography and lives of men from the core of the Omani Dhofar community.
His account on X reads, “Freedom…justice…pride…dignity are not just flashy words and slogans.” On 28 February 2024, he posted the following tweet next to a picture of the Minister of Economy, “He is not fit to be a minister.”
He also uses his Facebook account to express his personal opinions about public affairs that concern citizens. On 03 March 2024, in his comment on news stating that Oman is one of the Gulf countries that produces the most fish resources, he published the following, “What is the joy of this news?! We have a National Fish Company that has been afflicted with scabies and mutism for more than 30 years despite… providing all the reasons for success!!
Recommendations
While GCHR welcomes the release of writer and online activist Mohammed Ali Bakhit (Abu Ali Al-Barami), it calls on the Omani government to protect freedom of expression online and offline.
GCHR also calls on the Internal Security Service to stop its repressive policies and ensure the protection of citizens’ public freedoms.
