Jordan: journalists imprisoned over social media posts
Two journalists have been handed prison sentences after defamation charges were brought under the Internet Crimes law.
The National Union of Journalists has joined the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) in condemning the ongoing prosecution of journalists in Jordan. The union is alarmed by the media crackdown in the country likely to worsen if the Internet Crimes Law adopted by Parliament in July is signed by King Abdullah.
On 9 August, Ahmed Hasan Al-Zoubi was sentenced to one year in prison by a Jordanian Court of Appeal. Charges against the journalist were brought following his social media post on X (formerly Twitter) about a series of transportation strikes in Ma'an Governorate in December 2022.
A day prior, journalist Hiba Abu Taha was detained by security forces after she published a post on Facebook relating to confrontations in Al-Aqsa Mosque between Palestinians and Israelis. Accused of defaming an official body, she was handed a three month prison sentence for allegedly criticising the role of King Abdullah in relations with Israel.
Amendments proposed to Jordan’s Cybercrime law include disproportionate jail sentences and fines for views expressed on social media platforms. Trade unions and journalists are among those who have objected to changes, and the Jordanian Press Association has engaged extensively in negotiations with Parliament and the Senate in recent months. Although this has led to some improvement, concern remains about the harmful impact changes will have on media freedom.
Tim Dawson, IFJ deputy general secretary said:
“It is outrageous that the Jordanian government is moving to further tighten these laws, given the catastrophic effect of the existing restrictive laws on journalists and the independence of journalism in the country.
“The newly adopted cybercrime law means that Jordanian journalists will face serious threats for simply doing their job and will endure one of the most punitive legal media environments in the region.”