Muscat: Oman’s Sultan Haitham bin Tariq has issued a special pardon for a group of convicted prisoners. As per an official source at the Royal Oman Police (ROP), 328 prisoners were pardoned across the country. The number also included 107 expatriates who were jailed for various offences in Oman.
The pardon coincides with the Prophet’s (PBUH) birthday which tomorrow (October 19). An official holiday has been declared for both government and private institutions tomorrow in Oman.
The pardon also takes into account the plight of the families of these inmates.
Mohammed Al Harthy, an Omani lawyer, said such pardons come from time to time and are a huge relief to the families of those convicted, as they may be the only bread-winners in the family.
“I know of a family of a convicted 40-year-old Omani man who was imprisoned as he stood guarantee for a person who later absconded from Oman. His only crime was trusting a person who cheated him and fled. There are people like him as well in prison and this pardon comes as a fresh lease of life for such people and also for their families.”
