Oman has functionally abolished the death penalty; the last execution was carried out in 2009. Oman holds an unknown number of political prisoners in detention. A number of al-Shehhi tribal activists remain in jail on charges of “infringement on the country’s independence.” Amnesty International noted a number of prisoners of conscience in Omani detention. Political prisoners were granted the same rights as other prisoners. Oman is part of the Kafala system, and its implementation of the system is significantly less humane than the most advanced countries that use the system. Migrant workers cannot change their jobs or quit without their employer’s permission. While workers are allowed to leave the country at any time, they are barred from returning if they leave without permission. Migrant workers are not subject to minimum wage and are often paid slave wages. Migrant workers are not subject to Omani labor laws and often work in awful conditions, frequently facing high temperatures, long hours, or abuse by their employers. A recent amendment allows migrant workers to unilaterally cancel their contracts when they expire and they no longer need their employer’s permission to change jobs upon the expiration of their contracts. Oman maintains an extensive surveillance network; almost all residents are surveilled by the government. Cell phone, email, and social media conversations are all monitored by the government. VoIP was effectively banned until March 2020 when Skype, Zoom, and Google Meet were decriminalized. Other forms of VoIP remain banned. Criticism of the sultan is prohibited. The government maintains broad authority to block content and websites, revoke licenses, and prosecute journalists. The government has done so often in recent years and government dissenters are often fined or jailed over Tweets. The arrests of dissenters have increased in recent years. All public demonstrations must be approved by the government, which can reject applications to demonstrate for any reason with no appeals process. The government seldom approved licenses to protest. Participating in a demonstration of more than ten people that “disturbs public order” can constitute a prison sentence. Non-Muslims are banned from proselytizing and while apostasy is not officially illegal, Muslim fathers who convert away sacrifice custody over their children. The Ministry of Awqaf and Religious Affairs distributes standardized religious texts for Muslim religious sermons. Imams are expected to stay within the content guidelines of these texts. Homosexuality is illegal though this law goes generally unenforced. Abortion is legal to save the woman’s life.