90% of the meteorite list is interested in the Oman meteorite saga that Robert
Ward and Michael Farmer went through from our arrest in early January until our
release ordered on March 7th 2011.
This is my story, Robert can tell his, as it is a little different as we were
separated, interrogated, and housed apart for more than half of the event.
On December 31st we headed for Oman, my 20th meteorite hunting expedition
there. I have studied the law there since the arrest of the Russian and
American hunters back in 2005. There is no law against meteorite hunting in
Oman, those who asked why we keep doing it, that is why. It is legal. After
months of meeting with lawyers, looking at Oman law, I think we know what we
are talking about.
We had a very successful trip, I found 35 meteorites, 3 pieces of the Dhofar
1180 Lunar, more than 100 grams, and some other nice things. On the last day we
headed out of the desert and towards Dubai. At 1 PM on 13 January we arrived at
a police roadblock in Adam, nothing out of the norm, until they rushed my car
with M16's and they had heavy belt-fed guns on their trucks. They forced us out
of our cars and ripped them apart of course, finding the meteorites
immediately. We were taken to the Adam police station and interrogated for 10
hours. The Wali (governor) of the area arrived and was very upset at our
confinement, he kept apologizing to us and saying he did not understand why we
were being arrested and kept calling Muscat to try and get us released, he was
angry at tourists being detained in his district. He then informed that orders
from much higher in the government came in that we were to be taken to Muscat
and it was out of his hands. The
roadblock was for us, they had intel that we were coming. I have intel on who
did it......
We were driven to Muscat in shackles, arriving at midnight, taken to an
interrogation center in Qurum. Stripped, put into separate rooms, and never saw
each other again for the next 25 days except when the embassy came, our lawyers
came, or we were taken to the hospital a couple of times.
Qurum Criminal Investigation Division is little more than a torture chamber, we
heard many times people being beaten, and dragged around.
I was interrogated in a conference room after more than 72 hours without sleep.
We were kept in small rooms, 9 x 9 x 12 ft, with small pad on the floor and two
blankets, horribly filthy, crawling with roaches, and things on the floors and
walls which I decline to try to describe. There were 4 rooms, Robert and I in
two, and other people in the others, we could hear them crying or screaming
sometimes.
I tried to speak to Robert a couple of times just to see if he was there, and
he would yell he was, then the police would come and threaten me not to speak
again, this went on for 25 days and nights, 24 hours a day in that room, cold,
a small light on 24/7 you never knew the time of day except when food would
come.
It was a nightmare that never seemed to end. I was close to losing it, never
did, but my military training kicked in and helped with that.
It was more than 48 hours since our arrest that I was interrogated, forced to
sign a statement of guilt, then driven to a prosecutor's office at midnight on
the 15th of Jan. No phone calls in that time, no chance to see lawyer or
embassy despite endless pleas. I was charged with various crimes again with no
chance to see lawyer beforehand. I begged the prosecutor for a call and he
refused, then thankfully after he sent me out into a waiting room, another
person handed me a cell phone quietly so I called my wife and in 20 seconds
told her I was in jail in Muscat, and to call for help to the embassy,.
It took a week for the embassy to find us. Oman violated many laws, they are
required to provide lawyer before charges are filed, and contact embassy within
24 hours, neither done.
After that, the endless days passed in hell, the toilet a hole in the ground
and I will leave the rest to your imagination.
We went to trial on 6 Feb, a 15 minute joke in Arabic with one question asked
by the judge, who then sentenced us to 6 months in prison and a $250 fine for
illegal mining operations.
We were sent the next day to the Sumail central prison.
Once we arrived at the prison, Robert and I were placed together in a room, for
the first time we could talk at will, see the sky and see other people. We were
in a brand new American made ultra-max type prison. It was quite nice if you
can call prison nice. Clean, new, but full. Usually around 200 people in our
cell block. Taliban types, drug smugglers from Iran and Pakistan, drunks from
India, car thieves from Oman etc.
We were the only two westerners in a prison of thousands, so they worked hard
to keep up safe, the other prisoners were told they would suffer greatly if
they laid a finger on us.
After two weeks there, the prison changed, when the political situation in Oman
turned ugly, rioting, fires, deaths etc all happened in Oman, even though the
news was blacked out. Special forces were brought in as some of the other cell
blocks rioted and all hell broke loose. We were then scared for our lives. We
were also nearly starved to death. I lost nearly 40 lbs just by laying in bed,
the food was less than my cat eats in a day. Horrible crap, watery Dal from
India, some dry rice, Arabic flatbread, goop of all sorts, some form of meat
that would be about the size of your thumb for lunch. A prisoner carved me a
spoon out of a toilet cleaner chemical container, I have it here.
We saw people beaten, dragged away in shackles never to be seen again by us,
sick people refused medicine, diabetics refused shots and very sick. We were
treated well, which was sad that as Americans we were immediately taken to the
doctor when we were sick, others dragged back to bed in horrible pain, no need
for a doctor for them..............
Then came last week, our appeal in Nizwa. A different type of trial with 3
judges, and we were actually allowed to speak. I pled not guilty to all
charges, and the judges asked why. I was accused of illegal mining, I asked
what mining equipment I had been captured with, a phone, a sat phone, a camera,
a GPS, Ipad and Ipod. I told the court none of these things can mine, nor find
meteorites, the judges agreed. The prosecutor fumed.
We were also charged with violating Cultural Heritage laws, taking artifacts of
more than 60 years old. I told the court that a meteorite is not an artifact,
and when asked how old it was, I said it was unknown. The prosecutor said it
was old, I asked what evidence he had to prove that, again the judges conferred
and nodded their agreement that no evidence was provided to prove age one way
or another than since it is not man made, that could not even be guessed.
Robert also spoke at length, then our lawyer fought very hard back and forth
with the prosecutor and judges for an hour or so over every aspect of Omani
law, then the judges left the room, came back 5 minutes later, looked at Robert
and I and said in Arabic "Hallas" which means "finished" and then in perfect
English, "You are released from prison". They smiled at us on their way out of
the courtroom.
Robert and I looked at each other in shock, then the policeman said we were
free to go. We hugged then were taken back to the prison as we had to sign out
and get our things. The last night in prison was a real party with all the
friends we made there.
The next day we were taken back to Muscat as the Embassy and my wife made
travel arrangements for us to go home. A very happy day for us. We flew out at
midnight on the 8th of March.
There is no law against meteorite hunting in Oman. They might not like it, but
Cultural Heritage does not apply. There are specific items listed, not
meteorites. The mining law does not apply, 7 articles are very specific about
mining, stones on the surface do not apply.
The word meteorite does not exist in their laws, many other stones are
specifically named as forbidden from removal, meteorites are not among them.
We committed no crime, that being said, it doesn't change the fact that we
spent two months in hell.
We were deported and can not return to Oman.
I have been to Oman enough times anyway, I have nearly a thousand meteorites
from there, all mine legally.
There is a 3 month statute of limitations on any theft crime, the prosecutor
told us that any stone taken more than 3 months before is ours to keep as any
claim by Oman expires 3 months after it was found.
All meteorites from Oman are legal, regardless of what Beda Hoffmann and the
Omani professor says, the law is clear. They don't like it, well then I say
change the law.
But that does not change the fact that they will arrest you, deprive you of
even your rights guaranteed under Omani law, and make you suffer greatly if you
are caught there. Justice in Oman is a joke.
It was worth the time though, we have had adventures there that money can't
buy. Those of you who have never taken a risk can not understand that those of
us who gather these stones that fill museums and collections around the world,
do so at risk to life and limb. Those who are unwilling to risk usually gain
little.
Thanks for all the support from those who tried to help me and my wife during a
very frightening and difficult time, and to those who were happy at our
suffering, we made it through as men, I am stronger, wiser, and a happier
person now. When your time of need comes, may the favor be repaid, I am a
strong believer in Karma.
Michael Farmer
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