Omani man jailed for posting false eviction video to mislead public

Muscat: The Suwaiq Court of First Instance has sentenced an Omani national, Fathi bin Ali bin Khamis, to two years in prison and fined him 1,000 riyals for posting a fabricated video on social media.

According to the Public Prosecution, he was convicted of producing and sharing content that threatened public order and disrespected the judiciary.

The man falsely claimed he had been evicted from his home, showing his children in a tent to gain sympathy and question the integrity of Oman’s judicial system.

Investigations revealed that he was still residing in the same house and had not been evicted. He admitted to making the video with the aim of stirring public sentiment.

The court issued the sentence in absentia and ordered that the verdict be published in local newspapers and on social media.

-- Fahad Al Mukrashi is a freelance journalist based in Muscat