Reports of Turkish Authorities Handing Over Omani Citizen to Omani Authorities

The OCHRD has received news indicating that Turkish authorities have extradited the Omani citizen, Ahmed Saif, who has been residing in Turkey since last year, to Omani authorities. This action was taken due to his continuous activities criticising Omani authorities and his attempts to uncover several files related to security authorities. It has also been revealed that one of the reasons for Ahmed Saif’s departure was conflicts with the security authority, particularly with Hassan Al-Shuraiqi, the Inspector General of Police and Customs. Ahmed Saif used the X platform (formerly Twitter) for his critical writings against the government, in addition to his ongoing organisation of audio spaces in the areas, which also led to the arrest of Omani businessman Hani Al-Sarhani in August 2023. He was later sentenced to two years in prison in October 2023 before the sentence was reduced to six months on appeal in March 2024.
The Omani authorities criminalise any activity that they can interpret as undermining the prestige of the state. According to paragraph A of Article 115 of the Omani Penal Code, anyone who undermines the prestige of the state is punishable by imprisonment for a term not less than 3 months and not exceeding 3 years.
The OCHRD calls on the Omani authorities to disclose the whereabouts of Ahmed Saif and to release him immediately. Additionally, the OCHRD calls for the respect and protection of freedom of opinion and expression in Oman, as well as for the amendment or repeal of laws that contradict this right and do not comply with international laws related to human rights.