Appeal court upholds jail sentence for Sohar activists

Muscat: The Appeal Court in Oman on Saturday upheld sentence handed out by the Misdemeanor Court of First Instance to six Sohar activists.

All the six were handed out different jail terms for disturbing public peace, blocking roads and sabotage. Khaled Al Hamboli, Ali Bakhit Al Badi and Ali Al Gaithi were sentenced to six months in prison while Ammar Al Hinai was given a four-month term. Haitham Al Gaithi and Abdul Aziz Al Qasmi were jailed for three months each.

These six were part of the 27 protestors from Sohar who were first tried at the primary court for blocking the road and disturbing the public life.

All the six had appealed against the verdict and Saturday the Appeal Court upheld the lower court’s verdict “Only Ammar Al Hinai, who is already in custody, attended the hearing today as rest feared arrest immediately after the verdict,” Esmail Al Muqbali, a Sohar activist, told Gulf News.

He added that as most of them had spent some time in custody before being given bail, they will have to serve only the remaining period in prison.

He also said that a demonstration was planned for Sunday at 10am in front of the Legal Affairs Ministry in Muscat to protest against recent verdicts, including suspension of Azzaman newspaper and sentencing of journalists.