On 22 August 1996, Usamah al-Rantisi, a journalist with the weekly “Al-Ahali”, was arrested and held in detention for fifteen days by Jordanian security. He is being charged under the Press and Publications Law with “inciting sedition” and could face anywhere from six months to three years in prison. The charges stem from an article […]
On 22 August 1996, Usamah al-Rantisi, a journalist with the
weekly “Al-Ahali”, was arrested and held in detention for fifteen
days by Jordanian security. He is being charged under the Press
and Publications Law with “inciting sedition” and could face
anywhere from six months to three years in prison. The charges
stem from an article he wrote for the weekly’s 21 August edition,
entitled “The Events are Not from Outside,” which reported on the
mid-August demonstrations in southern Jordan protesting against
increases in the price of bread. A trial date for al-Rantisi has
yet to be set.
Recommended Action
Send appeals to authorities:
al-Rantisi
Publications Law to arrest and prosecute journalists who are
merely performing their duty to report the news
basic international standards included in the International
Covenant on Civil and Political Rights – to which Jordan is a
party – which states that everyone shall have the right to
“seek, receive and impart information and ideas of all kinds,
regardless of frontiers, either orally, in writing or in print,
in the form of art, or through any other media of his choice”
prevent future violations of journalists’ rights to report news
freely
Appeals To
His Majesty King Hussein bin Talal
King of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan
The Royal Palace
Amman
The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan
Fax: +962 6 634 755
His Excellency Dr Abd al-Karim Kabariti
Prime Minister
Office of the Prime Minister
PO Box 80
Amman
The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan
Fax: +962 6 642 520
His Excellency Awad Khleifat
Minister of the Interior
Ministry of the Interior
Amman
The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan
Fax: +962 6 606 908
Please copy appeals to the originator if possible.
