Three convicted in vote-buying, election influence case

Omani courts have handed down prison sentences and fines to three citizens convicted in a case involving vote-buying, election influence, and online defamation. The Public Prosecution announced the Primary Court of Muscat's rulings against Abdullah Abdulrahman Mohammed, Yosef Ahmed Shaheen, and Tarik Ibrahim Hassan.

Abdullah Abdulrahman Mohammed was sentenced to one year in prison, suspended after one month, and fined OMR1,000 for using information technology to insult another person, violating the Law on Combating Cybercrime. Yosef Ahmed Shaheen and Tarik Ibrahim Hassan received one-year prison sentences and OMR5,000 fines each for their roles in vote-buying aimed at influencing the 10th Shura Council elections.

The court partially suspended Tarik Ibrahim Hassan's sentence, requiring him to serve six months. Sentences for Yosef Ahmed Shaheen were ordered to run concurrently, with only the most severe penalty applied. The court also mandated the publication of its ruling.

While the Muscat Court of Appeal upheld the convictions in February 2026, it suspended the prison terms for all appellants. However, the Supreme Court, in July 2026, rejected the merits of their appeal, finalizing the convictions. Investigations revealed that Mohammed and Shaheen posted an insulting video about an election candidate, while Shaheen and Hassan exchanged messages demonstrating an agreement to buy votes, undermining electoral integrity.