Up to three years in jail for insulting Oman's national anthem

A decree issued by Sultan Haitham of Oman could result in up to three years in prison for insulting the national anthem, known as Salute to the Sultan. The punishment for desecrating the anthem, whether verbally, in writing, through gestures, or any other act conveying hatred or contempt, matches the penalty for disrespecting the country's flag.

The decree, published on Sunday, applies to anyone found guilty of such behavior, with a minimum sentence of three months and a maximum of three years. The same penalty currently applies to those who lower or destroy Oman's flag or express hatred or contempt for the flag or emblem. No reason was provided for the new law. Similar laws have been introduced in other countries, such as France, which passed a law in 2003 for booing the national anthem, and Hong Kong, which issued three-year prison sentences in 2020 for insulting China's anthem. Oman's national anthem, composed in 1932, was revised in 1970 and 2020 under Sultan Haitham's rule.