Noah Al Saadi, a 32-year-old Human Rights Defender has been released today by the Omani Police. He was arrested on 13 July 2014 by the Special Security Police Division forces and had been detained incommunicado since. It goes without doubt that these unlawful arrest and detention constituted retaliation for his work in monitoring human rights abuses and speaking up for other human rights activists as well as political prisoners in Oman.
For the whole time of his detention he was prevented from contacting his family and he was refused access to a lawyer. The Omani authorities continuously refused to disclose his exact location. What is more, it was not the first time Noah Al Saadi saw his fundamental rights violated as a result of his activism: in September 2013 he had been detained incommunicado for a month before being released without charges.
"We are relieved that Noah has been finally set free after 26 days of secret detention and was able to reunite with his loved ones. However and unfortunately, Noah's arrest is reflecting a common pattern in the Gulf countries – including Oman – of using abductions, arbitrary arrests, unlawful detentions and mistreatment to silence and punish human rights activists and dissident voices" says Radidja Nemar, Alkarama's Regional Legal Officer for the Gulf. "We will continue to follow Noah's situation and to refer to the United Nations Human Rights Council about the numerous other cases of what amounts to a judicial and police harassment campaign that is widespread in this region."
Extremely preoccupied by the disappearance of Noah Al Saadi, Alkarama sent a letter on 18 July 2014 to His Excellency Mr. Abdulla Nasser Al Rahbi, Oman's Permanent Representative to the UN in Geneva, to ensure that Noah Al Saadi is released immediately, and that his physical and psychological integrity is fully respected. In this letter, Alkarama reminded the authorities that such practices are not only clear breaches of International Human Rights Law and principles, but also violations of the Basic Law of Oman which guarantees protection from arbitrary arrest and detention.
Alkarama has informed the relevant UN Human Rights Special Procedures of Noah Al Saadi's situation and release, highlighting the seriousness of the current wave of human rights violations in the country aiming at silencing critics of the government policies which are restricting fundamental liberties. We call upon the Omani authorities to access and implement major human rights instruments in the shortest delays and note with concern that Oman is the only country in the Arab region which has not accessed neither the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights nor the Convention against Torture.