Oman Sultan orders mass pardon

Oman's Sultan Haitham Bin Tareq Al Saeed has issued a decree pardoning 282 prisoners, the official news agency ONA reported Thursday.

The pardoned inmates include 123 people, the agency added without giving a breakdown on their offences or jail terms.

The royal step comes a day after the Gulf country completed a 40-day mourning over the death of sultan Qaboos Bin Saeed, widely seen as architect of modern Oman.

Haitham, a former culture minister, has succeeded Qaboos in power.

The new sultan has promised to build on Qaboos’ legacy of further developing Oman and maintaining friendly ties with all countries.The 65-year-old ruler has pledged to follow Qaboos’ foreign policy of peaceful coexistence and non-interference in other countries’ affairs.