Sunday, August 14, 2011

Free Omani Journalist?

Interesting article on the cover of Muscat Daily this morning. 
Paris-based watchdog Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has appealed to Oman to release a journalist on trial over an article he wrote alleging corruption in the Ministry of Justice.


RSF said it 'has written to His Majesty Sultan Qaboos (bin Said)... expressing deep concern at tomorrow's (Sunday's) trial of Yousef al Haj, a journalist with the Muscat-based daily Al Zaman, as a result of a complaint by the Minister of Justice Sheikh Mohammed al Hinai about (an) article published on 14 May’.

Haj was charged with 'insulting the Ministry of Justice, insulting the Minister and his Undersecretary, trying to create divisions within Omani society, violating article 60 of the civil code (the publications law) and working as a journalist without a permit', RSF said.

I know he was banned from writing, but I had no idea he was in jail (releasing him means he's arrested, right?).  I don't believe in openly accusing someone without all the facts, ... but also I am disappointed in the government's reaction to Yousef's column. If anyone has a link to the article he published on May 14, please pass it along.

2 comments:

  1. I think this is the article which was written by Yousef al Haj: http://www.azzamn.org/news_details.php?id=51423&dt=2011/05/14&st=Archive.

    By the way,, the minister's speech to the protesters in Salalah was clear that he wanted to make divisions among tribes..but unfortunately no one dare to stop that parrot.

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  2. As salam alaikum.

    May Allah reward Haji Yousef and his family for their sabr and grant justice to Haji Yousef. Ameen.

    Ill have a look for the artical.

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