Oman court jails journalists, closes down newspaper
A court in Oman on Monday ordered the permanent closure of a newspaper which had reported on alleged corruption within the judiciary
A court in Oman on Monday ordered the permanent closure of a newspaper which had reported on alleged corruption within the judiciary, and jailed three of its journalists on charges that included undermining the prestige of the state.
Witnesses at the court said Ibrahim al-Mamari, editor-in-chief of the privately owned Azamn newspaper, and his deputy and managing editor Youssef al-Balushi, were jailed for three years and fined 3,000 rials ($7,800) each. A third journalist was jailed for a year.
Omani authorities suspended the newspaper in August for a month after detaining the three journalists. In a statement which did not mention Azamn by name, they said it had exceeded the limits of free speech and “drifted into ... harming one of the pillars of the state, the judiciary.”
Also Read
-
Journalist Mohamed Fahmy regains Egyptian citizenship
A Canadian journalist who spent almost two years jailed in Egypt that authorities have restored the citizenship he renounced Print -
Turkish journalists jailed for five years, hours after courthouse attack
Erdogan accused the journalists of undermining Turkey’s international reputation and vowed they would ‘pay a heavy price’ Print -
Iran jails four journalists
Four Iranian journalists have been given jail sentences of between five and 10 years for acting against national security Print -
Oman criticizes newspaper after editor-in-chief detained
Rights groups have called for Oman to release Ibrahim al-Maamari of the daily Arabic newspaper Azamn, who is held over the story Print
