Muscat – The Suwaiq Court of First Instance has handed down a judgment in absentia against Fathi bin Ali bin Khamis, convicting him of misusing the information network and technology to spread content deemed harmful to public order, as well as publicly undermining the respect due to the judiciary.

The court found Fathi guilty of two misdemeanours: producing and publishing a misleading video via social media, and casting doubt on the integrity of the judiciary. He was sentenced to one year in prison and fined OMR 1,000 for the first offence, and two years in prison for the second. The court ruled that the penalties be combined, with the harsher of the two — the two-year prison term — to be enforced.

In addition, the court ordered that the ruling be published in local newspapers and on social media platforms.

According to the Public Prosecution, the accused had admitted during investigations to filming a video of his children in a tent pitched outdoors, falsely claiming that he had been evicted from his home as a result of a court ruling. He stated that the video was intended to gain public sympathy, despite the fact that he continued to reside in the same home and had not been evicted. Claims that the property had been put up for auction were also proven false by the investigation.

The court’s ruling highlights the legal repercussions of spreading misinformation and bringing the judiciary into disrepute through digital channels.