Oman Sentences 2 Foreigners To Jail For Climbing On Turtles, Posting Clips Online

(MENAFN- Khaleej Times) Two foreign nationals have been fined and sentenced to one month in prison for disturbing nesting turtles at Oman's Ras Al Hadd Turtle Reserve, the Public Prosecution said.

The Court of First Instance in Sur convicted Vadim and Olena, both foreign nationals, of disturbing nesting turtles by touching and approaching them while they were moving along the beach.

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The court fined each defendant Omani rials 100 and sentenced them to one month in prison for using information technology to publish content deemed prejudicial to public order.

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The penalties were merged, with the prison sentences suspended, and the court ordered the judgement to be published.

According to the Public Prosecution, the defendants climbed onto the backs of large turtles, handled smaller turtles and disturbed them as they moved along the beach.

The defendants also filmed themselves carrying out the acts and later posted the footage on the first defendant's Instagram account, the investigation found.

The Public Prosecution stressed the importance of complying with laws and regulations protecting wildlife and nature reserves, warning against behaviour that could harm or disturb protected species.

It also urged the public to use social media responsibly and in a way that respects public order and the values of society.

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