Systematic Use of Psychological and Social Methods to Silence Activists in Oman

The Omani Internal Security Service (ISS) systematically employs a combination of psychological and social tactics to suppress activists and critics of government policy, in parallel with conventional security measures such as arrest, enforced disappearance, and torture. While the latter methods are typically time-bound and overt, the psychological and social approaches are continuous, intangible, and more insidious, leaving long-term effects on the individual. These methods directly target the activist’s psyche and sense of self, instilling internalised fear, repression, self-doubt, and self-censorship that linger long after release from custody.

The authorities deliberately implant psychological barriers that haunt the activist, disrupting their life for years after their release. Such practices effectively prevent them from embracing or expressing dissenting ideas, which is a fundamental element of the right to freedom of thought and expression.

Based on multiple documented testimonies, the OCHRD has identified consistent patterns in the ISS’s treatment of peaceful activists, including but not limited to:

1. The activist is summoned to appear at the headquarters of the Special Division in Al-Qurm, with his relatives or family members sometimes involved in the process to convey the summons. In other instances, he may be arrested directly from his residence or from a public place.

2. During the investigation phase, detainees are denied any communication with the outside world, including access to legal counsel, to reinforce their vulnerability and isolation. This tactic conveys that adopting a reformist stance offers no protection against the might of the state and that no one is capable of offering assistance.

3. Detainees are held in narrow solitary confinement cells, where lighting and sound are used manipulatively to undermine their psychological stability and willpower.

4. Some detainees are forcibly transferred to Al-Massarah Psychiatric Hospital, handcuffed and coerced into “cooperation” under the pretext of facilitating investigation procedures. Medical reports are issued diagnosing them with mental illness, with the justification of reducing the severity of the case or avoiding formal judicial proceedings by archiving the case within the Public Prosecution.

5. Activists are subjected to psychological profiling tests designed to identify personal vulnerabilities.

6. The psychiatric diagnoses are subsequently used to spread rumours among the activist’s close social circle, in a form of character assassination and social sabotage. Simultaneously, activists are targeted through psychological, familial, professional, and social pressure aimed at long-term marginalisation and disempowerment.

While such violations may appear arbitrary or driven solely by an intent to cause harm, analysis of rights-related cases in Oman reveals that the methods employed are deliberate and systematic. The strategy seeks to inflict lasting psychological and social harm on each activist, tailored to their individual case, so that they remain preoccupied with personal survival and incapable of engaging in public or civic affairs.

An investigation conducted by the OCHRD, involving several affected individuals, revealed that the ISS often detains activists under the guise of investigation, only to later refer them to Al-Masarrah Hospital, where they are held and treated as patients with psychological disorders. During this period, they are subjected to extensive psychological testing aimed at understanding their personality traits and weaknesses. The State also utilises personal information gathered on each activist to devise an individualised oppression strategy designed to ensure their preoccupation with personal issues following release, rendering them incapable of resuming their reformist or human rights work.

Release is typically granted on the basis of a family member’s guarantee, on the grounds that the activist lacks legal or mental capacity. The guarantor is required to sign strict undertakings that the activist will not resume criticism of the government. Consequently, the activist’s situation does not improve upon release. According to one article published by the OCHRD, state institutions engage in systematic coordination with the families of detainees through a combination of threats and persuasion, holding them accountable should the activist resume any public expression.

If the activist re-engages in writing or advocacy, the authorities, in collaboration with the family, often resort to legal guardianship measures, whereby the activist is declared legally incapacitated and stripped of their legal autonomy. Under such measures, they are denied access to official documents (including passports), freedom of movement, and the right to travel beyond the jurisdiction of the appointed guardian. These measures constitute a form of intellectual and social execution, effectively erasing dissenting voices and eradicating independent thought from the public domain.

Omani legislation further reinforces these practices by granting expansive powers to the Internal Security Service. The Law on the Internal Security Service, issued under Royal Decree No. 4/2020 on 20 March 2020, includes sweeping provisions that remove oversight and accountability from the agency’s actions. Article (10) of the law states:

“The Service may access any information or data from any natural or legal person if it deems such information to be of security relevance.”

Article (11) further states:

*“For the purpose of carrying out its competencies under this law, the Service has the authority to conduct surveillance and investigations by all available means. This authority shall not be subject to any oversight except by order of His Majesty the Sultan.”*⁴

These articles effectively grant ISS officers unrestricted authority to commit human rights violations with complete impunity, including the intellectual and social silencing of activists, without fear of oversight or legal consequences. The law thus constitutes a legal cover for practices that violate fundamental rights, such as:
– Arbitrary detention of peaceful activists based on vague accusations;
– Surveillance and invasion of personal privacy;
– Obstruction of career progression;
– Intimidation and legal harassment targeting those engaged in peaceful expression.⁵

In light of the above, it is evident that the Omani government implements these practices within a coordinated and systemic framework applied across most activist cases, with tailored methods targeting each individual’s specific vulnerabilities following release. As a result, activists often live under invisible psychological, intellectual, and social constraints, despite being nominally “free”.

These practices push individuals with any prior history of criticism into prolonged states of fear, self-monitoring, and suppression. Even though the State maintains that such individuals are “at liberty”, in reality they are subject to ongoing character assassination and psychological and social persecution that undermines not only their freedom of thought, but also their psychological well-being and everyday life.

Conclusion:
Free thinkers represent the conscience and vanguard of any society. Therefore, the OCHRD calls upon the Omani authorities to immediately cease all forms of repression against individuals expressing dissenting views and to guarantee the full right to freedom of expression in accordance with both international human rights obligations and domestic constitutional principles.