Muscat: The Appeals Court in Muscat adjourned a case of wrongful gathering against 11 Omani literati to December 12 after a third hearing that lasted for over a couple of hours on Wednesday.
“We put up strong arguments against the prosecution’s case in today’s [Wednesday] hearing and we are optimistic about the positive result in the next hearing when the judge is expected to deliver the judgement,” Khalifa Al Hinai, the defence lawyer, told Gulf News.
Without elaborating, Al Hinai added that as a defence lawyer he had put forward several points in his argument that made the defence case stronger.
“We have to wait for the judgement and hope for a positive result,” he added.
Al Hinai presented the defence case on behalf of Poet Saeed Al Hashemi, media person Baasma Rajhi, lawyer Basma Al Kiyumi, Nasser Al Gailani, Mahmoud Al Rawahi, Badar Al Jabri, Mukhtar Al Hinai, Abdullah Al Gilani, Khalid Al Nofli, Mohammad Al Sazawi and Mahmoud Al Jamoudi.
One of the under-trial activists, preferring anonymity, said that so far they have had nine hearings, six in the primary court and three in the Appeals Court. However, he added that they have had opportunities to speak to the judge only during three trials.
The trial in the cases of Hamad Al Kharusi, Ali Al Muqabali and Hammoud Al Rashidi was also put off to December 12.
Meanwhile, the hearing against Esmail Al Muqabali and Mohammad Al Jamoudi, who also faced a third hearing at the Appeals Court, was put off to December 5.
According to one under-trial activist there were over 20 bloggers and activists on trial today. Some cases have been put off to December 5 and in some other cases the judge will pronounce a verdict on December 12.
Some of the activists are facing two different cases simultaneously, one for wrongful gathering and the other for insulting the country’s ruler Sultan Qaboos Bin Saeed as well as violating the country’s cyber laws.
