Muscat: An Omani national has been sentenced to two years in prison and fined OMR 1,000 for sharing a misleading video that falsely claimed he had been evicted from his residence, intending to elicit sympathy and undermine the credibility of the Omani judiciary.
According to a statement from the Public Prosecution (PP), the Suwaiq Court of First Instance delivered a judgment in absentia on April 15, 2025, convicting the defendant, Fathi bin Ali bin Khamis, of the misdemeanor of utilizing the internet and information technology to create and disseminate content detrimental to public order, as well as publicly disrespecting the judiciary in a way that questions its integrity. The court imposed a one-year prison sentence and a fine of OMR 1,000 for the first charge, and a two-year prison term for the second charge. The sentences were to be served concurrently, with the more severe penalty being enforced. Additionally, the court mandated that the ruling be published in local newspapers and on social media.
During the investigation by the Public Prosecution, the defendant confessed to creating the video that depicted his children in a tent outdoors, asserting that he had been evicted from his home by court order. He stated that his intention in sharing the video was to garner public sympathy, while maintaining that he still lives in the same house he claimed to have been evicted from. He denied having been offered a property for auction, a claim that was ultimately substantiated by the investigations conducted in the case.
