Rights groups say Omani activist dies serving prison term
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Human rights groups say an activist in the Arab Gulf state of Oman has died while serving a three-year prison sentence on charges related to his online activism.
A coalition of four rights groups, including the Omani Association for Human Rights and the Gulf Center for Human Rights, said Wednesday that Hassan al-Basham passed away on April 28 in Samail Central Prison after a sharp drop in his blood sugar levels.
The rights groups say his deteriorating health was known to the courts, and that a request by his lawyers for a medical examination was ignored by an appellate court.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The rights groups say he'd been detained since September 2015 and was convicted on charges including insulting Oman's ruler and using the internet to prejudice religious values.