Oman : Three citizens behind bars for their support to arbitrary detainees and cooperation with the UN

On 9 May 2014, Alkarama submitted an urgent appeal to the Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders on the case of Mr Al Balushi, Mr Al Yahyai and Mr Al Mamari who were arrested on 7 May 2014 and are currently being detained by the Internal Security Apparatus in Muscat.

The families of the three victims tried to obtain information on their relatives' fate but the authorities refused to provide any information. They only were informed that the victims are being held in the special section of the Internal Security in Muscat and that none of them would be allowed to see a lawyer or his family.

Last year, Alkarama submitted the case of a parliamentarian, Dr Talib Al Mamari, arrested on 23 August for having participated to anti-pollution demonstrations and expressed his opinion against the toxic emissions of the petrochemical plants in the region of Sohar.

The three victims have been defending Dr Talib Al Mamari since his arrest and have repeatedly called for his release through social networks, and provided human rights organisation such as Alkarama with information on his case and other detainees'.

These three individuals are therefore clearly victims of reprisals by the Omani authorities for having engaged directly with the United Nations Special Procedures and having provided information to human rights NGOs.