Muscat: Protests in Oman's southern city of Salalah have not ended, contrary to reports published on an internet forum, a leading activist from the city told Gulf News.

"No, it is not correct," Mohammad Al Sahry, the protest leader, said over the telephone from Salalah, 1,000km south of Muscat, when asked whether the 37-day protests had come to an end.

In focus: Unrest in the Middle East

Al Sahry said someone had "played a prank" by posting wrong information about the protesters ending their sit-in from Sunday.

"We are here and we will remain here," he said, speaking from the makeshift tents pitched outside the Minister of State and Governor of Dhofar's office.

Al Sahry said the sit-in site saw over 1,000 activists during the day and the numbers increased in the evenings and on weekends.

A recent post on the Oman Sabla Web forum, which claimed the Salalah protesters were ending their stir, had caused confusion, especially among other protesters in Sur, Muscat and Sohar.

"The sit-ins at Salalah will continue," Mohammad Al Habsi, a protester in Muscat, who is in regular touch with the demonstrators in other towns, told Gulf News.

Shaikh Mohammed Bin Abdullah Bin Zaher Al Hinai, Minister of Justice, on Friday went to the site of the demonstrations and sit-ins in Salalah. He urged the protesters to end their protests in his address.

"The minister's visit was futile as his offer was totally unacceptable to us," Al Sahry said.

Meanwhile, late on Friday night, the Public Prosecution issued a statement announcing the release of 57 people arrested in connection with the protests in the northern Omani city of Sohar.

According to the statement carried by the Oman News Agency, the Public Prosecution will initiate legal action against the protesters who rioted in Sohar last Friday, which led to the death of a protester in police firing.

However, after the hour-long mayhem on Friday afternoon, Sohar has been peaceful and life there is back to normal, with offices and educational institutes resuming work.

Meanwhile, activists in Muscat said they will continue to stage sit-ins. "We will stage sit-ins in the ministry area during the day and move to the Shura building in the late evening," Dawood, a protester, told Gulf News.

The protesters in Muscat offered prayers on Sunday for the victim of the riots and subsequent police action.