Oman’s Sultan grants amnesty to 599 prisoners, including 336 foreigners

The Sultan of Oman, Haitham bin Tariq Al Said, has granted pardon to 599 prisoners convicted of various offenses, including 336 foreigners.

The state-run Oman News Agency made the announcement in a tweet on Wednesday.

It, however, did not say whether the decision was related to the coronavirus pandemic or the Islamic holy month of Ramadhan, which begins later this month.

The Sultan was sworn in as the new ruler of the Arab country after the death of his cousin Sultan Qaboos bin Said Al Said in January.

The amnesty comes after many notable human rights bodies warned the Persian Gulf Arab states about the health hazards caused by the continued jailing of hundreds of peaceful protesters and thousands of migrant workers amid the new coronavirus pandemic.

Human Rights Watch released a statement on Tuesday, denouncing Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Qatar, and Oman over the prison policy.

Almost half of the 52-million-strong population of the Persian Gulf Cooperation Council countries are expatriates, mostly coming from South Asia, the Philippines or from within the Arab world.

ME