Oman sentences 8 for incitement against govt

MUSCAT — An Omani court has sentenced eight people to a year in jail over Internet posts it called “incitement” against the government, a court official said on Wednesday.

Protests this year in Oman has pointed to difficulties in implementing a strategy of defusing discontent by creating tens of thousands of public sector jobs.

Issued on Monday, the verdicts could still be appealed by the defendants after each paid a fine of 1,000 Omani rials ($2,600), said the court official. “They have been convicted of abusive writing and incitement on the Internet and were also found guilty of slander and violation of the Information Technology Law,” he said.

Ten other people were sentenced to up to 18 months in jail last month over comments directed against the ruler, Sultan Qaboos, on social media websites. — Reuters