Two Omani activists have been handed prison terms over social media posts and WhatsApp messages that authorities have described as “blasphemous”, sparking an uproar in the Gulf country over issues of free speech. The activists, Maryam Al-Nuaimi and Ali Al-Ghafri, were sentenced on Tuesday to three and five years in prison by the Sohar Court of Appeal. They were also charged with misuse of social media. The court also acquitted activist Ghaith Al-Shibli for lack of criminal responsibility, and moved another Omani national’s case, Abdullah Hassan, to a specialised court. Al-Shibli was previously…