MUSCAT — An Omani court Monday sentenced four pro-reform activists to jail terms of between six months and a year for defaming Sultan Qaboos, their lawyer said, but they were freed on bail pending an appeal. Hamad Al-Kharusi, Ali Al-Meqbali and Mahmoud Al-Rawahi were sentenced to one year in prison for lese majeste, defaming the sultan, and for “violating the law on cyber crimes,” said one of their lawyers, Yaqub Al-Kharusi. Hammoud Al-Rashidi was handed a six-month term for the same offence, he said. The four defendants were released on bail of 1,000 Omani riyals ($2,600) each pending the appeal. Oman, an ally of the United States and Britain located on a major oil shipping route, has detained more than 36 pro-reform activists that includes bloggers, writers and lawyers for anti-government actions at the start of June. They have all been released, some of them on bail. Most state revenue comes from oil. The strikes were the biggest Oman has seen since protests last year against corruption and unemployment, triggered by “Arab Spring” uprisings in Tunisia and Egypt. Paris-based watchdog Reporters without Borders and New York-based Human Right Watch have denounced the arrests. Oman was hit by a wave of protests last year demanding political reforms and riot police dispersed the demonstrations with force. — Agencies
