Poets Saleh elAmeri, Ali elMakhmari and Ahmed alShehhi were detained along with several activists and journalists and are being held in an undisclosed location.
(ANHRI/IFEX) – Cairo, 3 April 2011 – Omani security detained three poets on 29 March 2011 – Saleh elAmeri, Ali elMakhmari and Ahmed alShehhi – along with several activists and journalists. They are holding them in undisclosed locations without declaring any reasons for their detention and without bringing them to trial thus far.
“The Omani government must release the three poets who were arbitrarily detained in the crackdown on activists and journalists for their participation in peaceful protests for democracy,” the Arabic Network for Human Rights Information (ANHRI) said.
Since 27 February, Oman has been witnessing mass protests amidst a strict media blackout. The protests began in Sahar, demanding democratic reform, and were met with severe repression by the security forces, which resulted in several citizens being killed and many more injured.
ANHRI strongly condemns the continued arbitrary detention of the three poets since 29 March without a trial or any information on their whereabouts. The organisation appeals to the international community and media to shed light on the severe human rights violations in Oman and stand against the Omani government’s attempts to conceal current events.
