Oman: Jailing of journalists is a dark day for freedom of expression
Responding to the news that a court in Oman has permanently closed the newspaper Azamn (al-Zaman), which had reported on alleged corruption within the judiciary, and jailed three of its journalists [editor-in-chief Ibrahim al-Ma’mari; his deputy Yousef al-Haj and journalist Zaher al-Abri], Drewery Dyke, Amnesty International’s Middle East and North Africa Programme’s Researcher on Oman, said:
“These journalists have been punished for carrying out legitimate work, and their convictions are a sad reflection of the state of freedom of expression in Oman. This is a dangerous escalation of the authorities’ attempts to stifle independent journalism. With these convictions Oman’s authorities have sent the unmistakable message that they will not tolerate investigation into state conduct, or the criticism that may result from it.”
“Oman’s authorities should be working to ensure that all journalists are free to work without fear of reprisal or harassment, not jailing them on trumped-up charges, or gagging vital independent voices in the media. These journalists should never have been arrested in the first place and we are calling for their immediate and unconditional release and the quashing of the charges.”
