Muscat: The Muscat Primary Court on Monday sentenced five Netizens to jail terms ranging from one year to 18 months for slander against Sultan Qaboos Bin Saeed, according to Yaqoub Al Harthi, a lawyer for two of the sentenced bloggers.

A well-known Omani photographer and activist, Mohammad Al Habsi and Abdullah Al Riyami have been given one-year prison term and fined 1,000 Omani riyals each.

Rose of Dhofar

Three others — Talib Al Abri, Abdullah Araimi and a girl student from Dhofar, who writes a blog under the penname of Rose of Dhofar — have been sentenced to 18 months with 1,000 riyals fine each.

“The court has released all five on a 1,000 riyal (Dh9,514) (each) bail pending appeal in the higher court,” Al Harthi said, adding that they would be free till the Appeal Court decides on the case.

All the five were tried for defaming the country’s ruler in their posts on blogs or social media website Facebook as well as for violating the law on cyber-crimes.

The five were among a number of people arrested since last May. “I am not sure how many are still in detention as there are other lawyers also defending some,” the lawyer said.

Charged for defamation

Habiba Al Hinai, who was one of the three activists held first last May, was present in court during Monday’s hearing. “All of them were charged for defaming the Sultan,” she explained.

She said that the girl student from Dhofar was not present at the hearing as she had sought exemption on medical grounds. “I informed her family about the sentence.”

According to a blogger, who preferred anonymity, Rose of Dhofar had written some scathing blogs against the government, people in general as well as against the Sultan.

The micro-blogging website Twitter and Facebook were flooded about the news of five Netizens being sentenced.

Last year, Oman saw a series of protests in the country, mainly at Sohar, Muscat, Salalah, Sur, Ibri and some other places. The protest in Sohar turned violent and also saw about six people killed in police action.

The protests started in January 2011 and were mainly confined to demands for more jobs, better pay and working conditions and removal of alleged corrupt officials.

The country’s leader took prompt action by creating 50,000 jobs, instituting unemployment allowance, replacing ministers targeted by protesters with those elected in Shura. The Sultan also granted more powers to the 84-member elected Shura council.

The protests then ebbed, except for sporadic slogan shouting by private sector employees for better wages and working conditions.

Last May, Omani employees of contractors working for oil companies in the country went on strike and then followed some protests and subsequent arrests of activists.

So far the Muscat Primary Court has sentenced 10 people for defaming the Sultan and committing cyber crime.