Muscat – Three Omani nationals have been convicted in a case involving cybercrime and vote buying linked to the tenth Majlis A’Shura elections, following a ruling by the Primary Court of Muscat that was later upheld by the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court.

According to the Public Prosecution, the case involved separate offences of online defamation and attempts to influence the outcome of the Majlis A’Shura elections through vote buying.

The Primary Court convicted Abdullah Abdulrahman Mohammed, Yousef Ahmed Shaheen and Tarik Ibrahim Hassan of using information technology to insult an individual, an offence punishable under Article 16 of the Law on Combating Cybercrimes.

The court sentenced each defendant to one year in prison and imposed a fine of RO1,000. The first defendant was granted a stay of execution for the remainder of his prison sentence, requiring him to serve only one month in custody.

In a separate ruling, the second and third defendants were convicted of the misdemeanour of vote buying with the intent to influence the outcome of the shura elections.

For that offence, each was sentenced to one year in prison and fined RO5,000. The court partially suspended the sentence for the third defendant, reducing his custodial term to six months and his fine to RO1,000, while the harsher sentence will be enforced against the second defendant. The court also ordered publication of the judgment.

Investigations by the Public Prosecution revealed that the first and second defendants had published a video clip on social media containing remarks deemed insulting to one of the candidates in the tenth shura elections. The video questioned the candidate’s eligibility and ability to perform his duties, damaging his reputation and public standing.

Investigators also uncovered correspondence between the second and third defendants that included an agreement to buy votes in favour of the second defendant, with the intention of undermining the integrity of the electoral process and the freedom of voting.

Following completion of the investigations, the suspects were referred to the competent court, which issued the convictions. The Public Prosecution said the case reflects the enforcement of laws protecting the integrity of elections and combating cybercrime in the sultanate.