تأريخ الحالة: سعيد جداد

يساور فرونت لاين ديفندرز القلق بشأن تدهور صحة المعتقل المدافع عن حقوق الإنسان السيد سعيد جداد، الذي حُكم عليه في نوفمبر/تشرين الثاني 2015 بالسجن لمدة سنة واحدة. وكان المدافع عن حقوق الإنسان قد عانى آلاماً حادة في القلب مصحوبة بالتعب بسبب مرض في القلب فشلت سلطات السجون في توفير الرعاية الطبية المناسبة له.

في 17 ابريل/نيسان 2016، عانى سعيد جداد من تدهور صحي خطير أثناء احتجازه في سجن رزات المركزي، غرب صلالة. وقد رفضت إدارة السجن في البداية نقل المدافع عن حقوق الإنسان إلى المستشفى على الرغم من سوء حالته. وبعد يومين، في 19 ابريل/نيسان 2016، وافقت سلطات السجن أخيرا نقل سعيد جداد إلى قسم الطوارئ بإحدى المستشفيات في صلالة، حيث أوصى الطبيب العام هناك بتحويل المدافع إلى أخصائي في القلب. ولكن أُعيد المدافع إلى سجن رزات بعد ساعة واحدة.
وكان قد أُلقيَ القبض على سعيد جداد في نوفمبر/تشرين الثاني 2015 أثناء مداهمة قوات الأمن لمنزله، واقتيد إلى سجن رزات. وقد تم احتجازه بعد أن أيدت محكمة الاستئناف في صلالة في 18 نوفمبر/تشرين الثاني 2015 عقوبة سجن لمدة عام واحد مع غرامة مالية قدرها 1,000 ريال عماني. وكان المدافع عن حقوق الإنسان متهما بـ "استخدام شبكة المعلومات في نشر المواد التي من شأنها المساس بالنظام العام"، وذلك بعد آخر مانشره وقارن فيه بين احتجاجات عام 2014 في هونغ كونغ واحتجاجات عام 2011 في محافظة ظفار.
وفي قضية منفصلة، في سبتمبر/أيلول 2015، أيَّدَت محكمة الاستئناف في مسقط حكما بالسجن لمدة ثلاث سنوات مع وقف التنفيذ لمدة ثلاث سنوات، وغرامة مالية قدرها 2,000 ريال عماني. كان سعيد جداد قد أُتهم بـ "النيل من هيبة الدولة"، و "التحريض على الاحتجاج"، و "استخدام وسائل الاعلام الاجتماعية لنشر معلومات انتهكت حرمة النظام العام"، وذلك عقب خطاب مفتوح وجهه المدافع إلى الرئيس الأمريكي باراك أوباما في عام 2013، حول انتهاكات حقوق الإنسان في سلطنة عمان. وكانت المحكمة الابتدائية قد أمرت في 8 مارس/آذار 2015 بنيل سعيد جداد عقوبات الاتهامات الثلاث المذكورة آنفا فوراً مع دفع غرامة قدرها 1,700 ريال عماني.

وتعرب فرونت لاين ديفندرز عن قلقها العميق بشأن صحة المدافع عن حقوق الإنسان سعيد جداد وقلة الرعاية الطبية له وتأخرها عليه.

وتحث فرونت لاين ديفندرز السلطات في عُمان على:

1. التأكد من حصول سعيد جداد على رعاية طبية متخصصة عاجلة وأن المعاملة التي يلقاها في الاعتقال تتوافق تماماً مع الشروط المنصوص عليها في "مجموعة المبادئ المتعلقة بحماية جميع الأشخاص الذين يتعرضون لأي شكل من أشكال الاحتجاز أو السجن، بموجب قرار الجمعية العامة للأمم المتحدة رقم 43/173 المؤرخ في 9 ديسمبر/كانون الأول 1988؛

2. إلغاء الحكم الصادر ضد سعيد جداد والإفراج عنه، حيث تعتقد فرونت لاين ديفندرز أن الدافع الوحيد وراء الحكم الصادر بحقه هو عمله المشروع و السلمي في الدفاع عن حقوق الإنسان؛

3. ضمان أَنَّ جميع المدافعين عن حقوق الإنسان في عُمان -وفي جميع الظروف- قادرين على القيام بعملهم المشروع في مجال حقوق الإنسان دون خوف من انتقام وبدون أي قيود.

Your Highness,

Front Line Defenders wishes to bring your attention to the conviction and detention of human rights defender Mr Saed Jadad in connection with his peaceful and legitimate activities in the promotion and protection of human rights.

Mr Jadad is a human rights defender and blogger who works mainly in the Dhofar region. His work includes documenting human rights violations, as well as writing blog posts highlighting current human rights violations in Oman.

Mr Jadad is now serving a total of four years imprisonment in connection with convictions from two separate cases. On 8 March 2015, the Court of First Instance in Muscat sentenced Mr Jadad to three years' imprisonment and a fine amounting to 1,700 Omani Rial (approximately €4,072) on charges relating to undermining the prestige of the state, inciting the public to join an illegal gathering, and publishing material that disturbs the public order via the internet. Additionally, on 17 March 2015, Mr Jadad appeared before the court of First Instance in Salalah, on a charge relating to the Cyber Crimes Law. He was sentenced on 31 March 2015 to one year's imprisonment and fined 1,000 Omani Rials (approximately €2412). Mr Jadad has been in detention since his arrest on 21 January 2015.

Mr Jadad has been harassed by the authorities on several occasions. On 22 December 2014, the human rights defender was released on bail after being held in an undisclosed location for 12 days. He was charged with undermining the status and prestige of the state, accusations that are reportedly related to Mr Jadad's call for social and political reform during a meeting with members of the European Parliament in 2013. Mr Jadad had been arrested on 10 December 2014 by plain-clothed members of the security forces on the street in Oqad region in the city of Salalah. Members of the security forces accompanied him to his residence in order to search it, and confiscated his laptop and mobile phone. Previously, on 31 October 2014, Mr Jadad was prevented from travelling on a flight to Doha while on route to Istanbul. He was stopped by a plain-clothed security agent and informed that a travel ban had been issued against him in July 2014. Mr Jadad has also been officially banned from publishing in the Omani media, including in newspapers which he used to contribute to, such as Al Zaman and Ru’aya.

Front Line Defenders expresses concern at the sentencing of Mr Jadad, which it believes to be solely related to the human rights defender's legitimate exercise of the right of freedom of expression and his human rights work. We are also concerned for the deterioration of Mr Jadad's health. Front Line Defenders respectfully reminds you that the United Nations Declaration on the Right and Responsibility of Individuals, Groups and Organs of Society to Promote and Protect Universally Recognized Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, adopted by consensus by the UN General Assembly on 9 December 1998, recognises the legitimacy of the activities of human rights defenders, their right to freedom of association and to carry out their activities without fear of reprisals. We would particularly draw your attention to Article 6 (b): “Everyone has the right, individually and in association with others: (b) As provided for in human rights and other applicable international instruments, freely to publish, impart or disseminate to others views, information and knowledge on all human rights and fundamental freedoms,” and to Article 12 (2): “The State shall take all necessary measures to ensure the protection by the competent authorities of everyone, individually and in association with others, against any violence, threats, retaliation, de facto or de jure adverse discrimination, pressure or any other arbitrary action as a consequence of his or her legitimate exercise of the rights referred to in the present Declaration.” In the last Universal Periodic Review in early 2011, Oman declared its commitment to ensure a safe and effective working environment for human rights defenders and enhance freedom of expression, association and assembly.

We would request that you take measures to put an end to the detention of Mr Saed Jadad and guarantee that all human rights defenders in Oman are able to carry out their legitimate human rights activities without fear of reprisals and free of all undue restrictions.

Yours sincerely,

Mary Lawlor

Executive Director

On 27 January 2015, human rights defender Mr Saed Jadad was transferred from the Military Hospital in Salalah to Muscat to attend his first hearing in his trial before the Court of First Instance in Muscat on charges including "undermining the prestige of the state". The human rights defender has been on hunger strike since his arrest on 21 January 2015.

The human rights defender is currently being detained at the Special division of the Omani Police in Mascat.

On 10 December 2014, International Human Rights Day, at approximately 9:00 p.m., human rights defender Mr Saed Jadad was arrested by a group of uniformed and plain-clothed members of the security forces while in the street in Oqad region in the city of Salalah in the province of Dhofar. He was arrested approximately 10 minutes after he left his residence, which is located in the same area.

Following his arrest, the security forces accompanied him to his residence where three police and military vehicles parked in front of his house. Members of the security forces searched his residence and confiscated his laptop and mobile phone. Following the search, the human rights defender was taken to an undisclosed location. The following day, his family went to the police station in Salalah to enquire about his arrest but no information was provided to them and his whereabouts remain unknown. Reportedly, the security forces did not have a warrant for his arrest and no official charges have been brought against him.

On 4 July 2013, prominent Omani human rights activist and blogger Mr Said Jadad was released from detention on a bail of 600 Omani Riyals (approx $1500). He is currently awaiting trial, facing charges of resisting arrest and obstruction of justice. The human rights defender had been arrested on the morning of 4 July when police and anti-riot forces raided his family farm with no arrest warrant.

He had been held for 8 hours with 18 other prisoners, in conditions that are not in compliance with minimum standards of humane detention. These unsanitary and difficult conditions are particularly serious given Said Jadad's health conditions, which include high blood pressure, heart and back problems. During this and previous periods of detention, he was denied appropriate medical care and access to a lawyer.

This occurred most recently in January 2013 when he was detained without a warrant or charges, and was later released.

On 22 January 2013, human rights defender Mr Said Jadad was released from the General Prosecution Office without any formal charges. He had been in detention since 14 January 2013.