DUBAI — An Omani court has sentenced six people to jail terms of 12 to 18 months over social media posts it called “slander” against the country's ruler, a defense lawyer said Tuesday. The verdicts, which were issued late Monday, are being appealed by the defendants after they paid fines and bail of 1000 Omani rials ($2,600) each, the lawyer, Badr Al-Bahri, said, adding specific charges included insulting the ruler. An appeal hearing is set for Sept. 10. The rulings against postings on Twitter and Facebook extend a crackdown on dissent which has flared anew after Oman quelled its own version of Arab Spring protests last year. Four other people were sentenced to up to a year in jail last week over comments directed against the ruler. — Reuters
