On 30 August 2014, human rights defender Mr Mohamed Al Fazari disappeared after going to the police station in the Al-Qurum district of Muscat, at 9.00 am, following a summons to appear received from the General Directorate of Inquiries and Criminal Investigations of the Omani Police in Muscat.

Mohamed Al Fazari is a prominent blogger and human rights defender in Oman. He is the founder and editor of the e-magazine Mowatin (“Citizen”). He advocates for the freedom of expression.

The human rights defender received an official letter attached in an e-mail ordering him to appear at the police station in Al-Qurum district on the morning of 30 August 2014 to discuss a “personal matter”. During the days prior to the summons, he had received phone calls inviting him to go to the police station. Mohamed Al Fazari has since disappeared, and the police has refused to give any information to his lawyer or family members, including an acknowledgement of his detention.

Mohamed Al Fazari had previously been targeted because of his work. In August 2012 he was sentenced, along with a group of human rights defenders, to a year's imprisonment and a fine on charges including “insulting the ruler”, “violating cyber-crime law” and “unlawful gathering”. In December 2012, the appeal court upheld the sentence and, pending a re-trial ordered by the Supreme Court, he was pardoned by Sultan Qaboos and was released on 21 March 2013. He was arrested again in October 2013 and asked to close the Mowatin e-magazine. Reportedly, he was told by state security that the next time they arrest him, they would not let him go.

Front Line Defenders expresses its grave concern at the disappearance of Mohamed Al Fazari and the refusal of the Omani police to acknowledge the detention and disclose information about his whereabouts. Front Line Defenders is concerned for the physical and psychological integrity of the human rights defender and considers that his disappearance is solely related to his peaceful and legitimate human rights activities.