Jordanian authorities have banned several journalists from attending and covering parliamentary sessions without providing reasons for their decision.
UPDATE: The Jordanian Parliament decides to only allow journalists enrolled in the Press Syndicate to cover its sessions, excluding those who work for electronic news sites. (ANHRI, 11 January 2014)
The Arab Network for Human Rights Information (ANHRI) denounced on 9 January 2013 the continuous violations committed by Jordanian authorities against press freedom.
On 6 January, Head of Jordanian Parliamentary Finance Committee Mohamed Al-Saudi prevented a number of journalists from attending a meeting to discuss the Royal Court’s budget for 2014, without mentioning any reasons.
Sahar Al-Mohtaseb, a journalist for Gerasa News, was also banned from attending the session on 5 January by Atallah Huneiti, the media advisor to the Jordanian House of Representatives’ President, although she had been reporting on council news for the past nine years.
“Preventing journalists from clearly and transparently relaying information to citizens is a clear violation of the public’s right to know,” said ANHRI. “It is a move used by the authorities to subject the media to the control of the ruling regime.”
ANHRI demands from Jordanian authorities to clarify the reasons behind the ban preventing journalists from covering parliamentary sessions.
