Muscat: One thousand eight hundred Omani inmates began a hunger strike on Sunday at the high-security Central prison in Samayil province as their names were not included in the recent royal pardon for a number of inmates.
They claim to have met all the requirements for the royal pardon, according to Al Balad News site.
Al Shaima Al Raisi, Muscat representative on the Municipal Council, said that the inmates only demanded that they be treated fairly by the authorities as well as be allowed to meet the minister of the Royal Court to convey their message.
The royal pardon for inmates included those who had completed three quarters of their sentence while also displaying good behaviour inside the prison.
According to Omani Penal Law, amnesty in Oman is general, whereas individual amnesties are only given by a royal decree, as per article 65 and 66 of the Penal Law, and do not require the prisoner to have completed three quarters of the sentence.
Sultan Qaboos Bin Saeed issued a royal pardon for 160 inmates last week, including 76 foreigners, on the occasion of the 45th National Day, which fell on November 18.
Such decrees are issued on occasions like the National Day, Ramadan, Eid Al Fitr and Eid Al Adha every year.
In 2013, 18 jailed activists went on a hunger strike in Samayil prison to protest the delay in the Appeal Court hearing for cases on cyber law violations.
