50% rise in people freed as part of Fak Khorba

Muscat: As many as 7,113 people were acquitted of minor and unintentional financial offences in the past 12 years, thanks to Fak Khorba, an initiative of the Omani Lawyers Association (OLA) which works to free those who are facing legal proceedings or detained for financial offences. "In 2024 alone, we managed to secure the release of 1,219 people detained for financial offences in various jails of Oman or were facing legal proceedings in different courts of the country," said Dr Mohammed bin Ibrahim al Zadjali, head of Omani Lawyers Association (OLA).

The details of the eleventh edition of the initiative which was began in 2012, and is usually conducted during the holy month of Ramadhan, were announced on Monday under the auspices of Dr Hamad bin Hamdan al Rubaie, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Omani Lawyers Association, and other directors of the organisation. This year's Fak Khorba, conducted under the slogan of 'Remove Distress', saw a jump of 50 per cent from the last year, when as many as 811 people were released.

"We are able to secure the release of nearly 1,219 people including citizens and expatriates held for minor financial offences in 2024. We have made sure that they met the conditions, and their release was made possible with the Royal blessings and with the cooperation of institutions and individuals across the country and have helped them resume a better life after the release," he said.

He further said that this initiative comes under the slogan “Because we believe that a person deserves a second chance,” aims to collect financial donations to release the families of the insolvent in prisons due to claims arising from civil, commercial, sharia, and labour cases. "The eleventh edition of the humanitarian initiative is designed within the framework of community synergy, and support to the mission was received through its bank account, its website and through Thawani Pay."