MUSCAT : For more than five years, the reign of His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tarik has been marked not only by bold reforms and national progress, but also by a consistent thread of compassion. Through the royal pardon, renewed time and again, thousands of inmates have been given a second chance, their lives touched by a gesture of humanity that carries profound meaning.

Since His Majesty assumed leadership on January 11, 2020, a total of 8,326 inmates have been pardoned up to September 2025. The pardons have reached across prison walls to embrace both Omanis and foreign nationals, reflecting the Sultanate’s values of tolerance and justice balanced with mercy.

The pardons are not random. They often arrive in moments of collective reflection – during Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha, the Prophet’s Birthday, the anniversary of His Majesty’s accession to the throne, and the National Day. Each occasion becomes more than a celebration: it is an opportunity for families to be reunited, for remorse to turn into renewal, and for society to witness compassion at the highest level of leadership.

While statistics tell the scale – 1,704 pardoned in 2020, 1,670 in 2021, 1,341 in 2022, 864 in 2023, 879 in 2024, and already 1,868 in 2025 – the deeper story lies in the lives changed.

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