Oman imprisons and fines journalsists who tell the truth

The trial of a Web moderator Ali al-Zuwaidy in Oman, a Gulf Arab state of 3.3 million people on the tip of the Arabian peninsula, was criticized in a popular Internet forum, where it was said about the necessity of easing grip on the media and improvement of business transparency. This trial is the latest in a series of legal cases concerning Internet blogs, forums and websites in the Arab world, where rights groups say governments are clamping down. The Internet has become a popular arena for disputes partly because of restrictions observed in traditional media.

 Ali al-Zuwaidy was detained for 11 days earlier this year for inquiring over an anonymous post suggesting corruption in state telecom firm Omantel and for publishing a cabinet directive putting an end to live radio phone-ins. A verdict in Zuwaidy's case is due on April 21. 

Omani newspapers said that Zuwaidy, who could face a total of four years in prison and hefty fines, is accused of publishing a confidential document that he got in his capacity as a state employee and insulting the former Omantel CEO, Mohammed al-Wohaibi, who had resigned last month because of some personal reasons. Omantel bought Pakistan's Worldcall Telecom last year, a controversial investment seen as contributing to a slowdown in Omantel's fourth quarter net profit. Offering tax breaks and other incentives, the Oman government is trying to attract more foreign investment in the state. 

Said al-Hashemi, a member of the Omani Writers Association which has provided legal aid for Zuwaidy, a writer and civil aviation administrator said that Association considers this case to be threatening freedom of expression in the country that is not in the interest of the state's development efforts. 

Mohammed al-Balushi, an editor at the daily al-Shabiba, stated that Web forums had become a popular venue for debate and revealing information, although Internet penetration is still low mainly because of an atmosphere of self-censorship in the press.