Omanis protest convictions of 31 for plotting government overthrow News
Omanis protest convictions of 31 for plotting government overthrow

[JURIST] Thousands of Omanis on Tuesday gathered at a mosque in Oman's capital city of Muscat to protest Monday's state security court conviction of 31 people [Oman News Agency report] for plotting to overthrow Sultan Qaboos [Oman Ministry of Information profile] and attempting to install an Islamic government. A human rights activist at the scene told Reuters that police had begun to disperse the crowd and that several people had been taken into custody. Over 100 suspects were arrested earlier this year based on unconfirmed reports of a planned attack at a popular cultural festival, but most had been released. Although the prosecution called for the death penalty, the typical penalty for plotting to overthrow the government, the remaining suspects were sentenced to prison from 7 to 20 years, with the right to appeal to Sultan Qaboos within the next 30 days. Reuters has more.