Case History: Saed Jadad

Front Line Defenders is concerned at the deteriorating health of detained human rights defender Mr Saed Jadad, who was sentenced to one year's imprisonment in November 2015. The human rights defender suffered severe heart pain and fatigue, relating to an underlying heart condition, for which the prison authorities failed to provide adequate medical care.

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On 17 April 2016, Saed Jadad suffered a serious health deterioration while in detention at Arzat central prison, west of Salalah. Prison management initially refused to transfer the human rights defender to hospital despite the urgency of his condition. Two days later, on 19 April 2016, prison authorities eventually agreed to bring Saed Jadad to an emergency department in Salalah. At the hospital, a general practitioner recommended that the human rights defender be referred to a  heart specialist. However, the human rights defender was brought back to Arzat prison an hour later.

In November 2015, Saed Jadad was arrested after security forces raided his home, and took him to Arzat prison. His detention occurred after the Court of Appeal in Salalah upheld the sentence of one year's imprisonment and a fine of 1000 Omani Rials on 18 November 2015. The human rights defender was charged with “the use of an information network in the dissemination of material that would prejudice public order”, following a blog post that he wrote in which he compared the 2014 protests in Hong Kong to the 2011 protests in Dhofar.

In a separate case, in September 2015, the Appeals Court in Muscat upheld a three year prison sentence, suspended for three years, and a fine of 2000 Omani Rials. Saed Jadad had been charged with “undermining the prestige of the state”, “incitement to protest” and “using social media to disseminate information that infringed on the sanctity of public order”, following an open letter which he wrote to U.S. President Barack Obama, in 2013, about human rights abuses in Oman. The Court of First Instance ordered on 8 March 2015, that Saed Jadad should serve the three aforementioned sentences simultaneously and pay the combined fine of 1700 Omani Rials.

Front Line Defenders is deeply concerned about the health of human rights defender Saed Jadad and the limited and delayed medical care that he received.

Front Line Defenders urges the authorities in Oman to:

1. Ensure immediate specialist medical care for Saed Jadad and that his treatment in detention fully adheres to the conditions set out in the 'Body of Principles for the Protection of All Persons under Any Form of Detention or Imprisonment', adopted by UN General Assembly resolution 43/173 of 9 December 1988;

2. Quash the sentence against Saed Jadad and release him, as Front Line Defenders believes that his sentencing is solely motivated by his legitimate and peaceful work in the defence of human rights;

3. Guarantee in all circumstances 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 restrictions.

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.