Omanis now face up to seven years in jail for criticising the Sultan’s wife or children

Omanis now face up to seven years in jail for criticising the Sultan’s wife or children

The Omani Centre for Human Rights is deeply concerned to see that freedom of expression in Oman has been still further curtailed with the issuing, on 20 October 2022, of Royal Decree No. 28/2022, which expands Article 97 of the Omani Penal Code as follows:

Article 97

Whoever commits, publicly or by publication, a challenge to the rights of the Sultan and his prerogatives, or dishonours his person, shall be punished by imprisonment for a period of no less than three years and not exceeding seven years.

TEXT ADDED: The same penalty shall apply to whoever commits, publicly or by publication, a challenge to the wife of the Sultan and his heir apparent and his children, or dishonours their persons.

We would like to point out that Article 97 is found in a chapter of the Penal Code entitled “Internal Crimes Against State Security”.

It is outrageous that peaceful criticism and fair comment on the ruler of the country and even his family should be criminalised in this way.