An Omani court has sentenced six people to jail terms of 12 to 18 months over social media posts it called "slander" against the country's ruler, a defense lawyer revealed on Tuesday.
The verdicts, which were issued on Monday, are being appealed by the defendants after they paid fines and bail of 1000 Omani rials ($2,600) each, the lawyer, Badr al-Bahri, said, adding specific charges included insulting the ruler.
An appeal hearing is set for September 10. The rulings against postings on Twitter and Facebook extend a crackdown on dissent which has flared anew after Oman quelled its own version of Arab Spring protests last year.