DUBAI: An Oman court has sentenced a writer and a poet as well as four others to jail for up to one-year after being convicted of defamation over comments they had made against the country's sultan. They have been freed pending bail and an appeal, Reuters news agency said, citing their lawyer. In recent weeks, the Omani government has increased its crackdown on criticism of the government, arresting at least 30 people over protests that have erupted after workers entered a strike at oil plants in the small oil strong exporter over pension controversies. The move by the workers were the largest the Gulf country had seen since a series of protests against corruption and unemployed were sparked following uprisings in Egypt and Tunisia. An Omani activist reportedly told Reuters that author Hammoud Rashedi was among the accused for holding up a sign with “certain sentences directed at Sultan Qaboos” during a peaceful demonstration last month, while poet Hamad al-Kharusi had published a poem referring to the veteran ruler on his Facebook page. The country had warned its people that it would make swift arrests and court cases against anyone making “defamatory statements” on social media networks or at protests.
