Women Journalists Without Chains strongly condemns the arrest of prominent lawyer and human rights defender Majid bin Abdullah Al-Ruhaili by Omani authorities, describing the measure as arbitrary, retaliatory, and incompatible with Oman’s obligations under international human rights law.

According to documented information, security forces arrested Al-Ruhaili on February 8, 2026, in front of his home in Muscat without presenting a judicial warrant or informing him of the charges against him. Authorities transferred him to an undisclosed location and have yet to clarify his legal status or place of detention. Credible sources indicate that the arrest followed his peaceful expression of views on social media.

On January 27, 2026, Al-Ruhaili had expressed solidarity online with writer and short story author Dr. Umama Al-Lawati, who had also been arrested for opinions she shared publicly. On February 12, 2026, the Muscat Primary Court sentenced Al-Lawati to three months’ imprisonment, suspended the sentence, imposed a fine of 1,000 Omani rials, confiscated her phone and SIM card, and ordered the deletion of her account on the social media platform X. These measures constitute punitive restrictions on her freedom of expression.

The arrest of Al-Ruhaili and the ruling against Al-Lawati mark a troubling regression, particularly as they occurred shortly after Oman’s human rights record was reviewed before the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva. The timing raises serious questions about the authorities’ commitment to implementing their international pledges to protect human rights defenders and guarantee freedom of opinion and expression.

Detaining Al-Ruhaili without a disclosed legal basis and withholding information about his whereabouts amount to arbitrary detention and raise concerns of temporary enforced disappearance. Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights guarantees the right to freedom of opinion and expression. Article 9 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights prohibits arbitrary arrest or detention and requires that any deprivation of liberty comply strictly with law and due process safeguards.

Peaceful expression of opinions, including solidarity with others, falls within the protected scope of these guarantees. Criminalizing such conduct violates the principles of legality, necessity, and proportionality that govern any permissible restrictions on fundamental rights.

Women Journalists Without Chains calls on the Omani authorities to immediately and unconditionally release Majid bin Abdullah Al-Ruhaili and to drop all charges related solely to his peaceful exercise of freedom of expression. The authorities should annul the ruling against Umama Al-Lawati, restore her full digital rights, and end the targeting of writers, lawyers, and human rights defenders for expressing their views.

The authorities must also disclose Al-Ruhaili’s place of detention, ensure his access to legal counsel and family, and guarantee his physical and psychological safety. Oman should review and amend domestic legislation to align fully with its international treaty obligations and prevent further arbitrary detention and suppression of peaceful dissent.

Women Journalists Without Chains stands in full solidarity with Al-Ruhaili, Al-Lawati, and all prisoners of conscience, and urges the international community and relevant UN special procedures to press for the protection of fundamental freedoms in Oman.

Released by: 
Women Journalists Without Chains
February 18, 2026