Jordan Sentences 8 to Prison on Terrorism Charges

Jordan's State Security Court. (Petra)
Jordan's State Security Court. (Petra)
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Jordan Sentences 8 to Prison on Terrorism Charges

Jordan's State Security Court. (Petra)
Jordan's State Security Court. (Petra)

The Jordanian State Security Court on Monday issued three- to 15-year prison sentences against eight Jordanians after they were convicted of carrying out terrorist acts, promoting the ideas of an extremist group and attempting to join ISIS.

The court also sentenced a man to 15 years hard labor for planning to commit a terrorist act for ISIS by stabbing a Tourism Ministry guard, Mousa al-Abudullat, the defendants’ lawyer told Asharq Al-Awsat.

The 24-year-old convict, who has been in custody since March 2017, was found guilty of conspiring to carry out terrorist acts, promoting ISIS terrorist ideology and attempting to join the terror group.

The sentence was announced during a public hearing held under Colonel Judge Mohammad al-Afif and the membership of the civil judge Ahmad al-Qatarna, the leading Judge Safwan al-Zu'bi and in the presence of the State Security Prosecutor Captain Anas al-Khasawneh.

Also on Monday, the court sentenced six convicts to three years hard labor and a seventh suspect to four years hard labor for promoting ISIS ideologies and trying to join terrorist and armed groups.

Two detainees were acquitted.

Abdullat said that during the past three months, the court has sentenced 120 suspects, ten of whom were Syrian and the rest were Jordanian.

Most of the cases were related to promoting ISIS ideology or attempting to join terrorist organizations or carry out terrorist acts.



Gunman Shot Dead, 3 Police Injured in Shooting near Israeli Embassy in Jordan

Image of the Israeli embassy building in Amman. (Archive)
Image of the Israeli embassy building in Amman. (Archive)
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Gunman Shot Dead, 3 Police Injured in Shooting near Israeli Embassy in Jordan

Image of the Israeli embassy building in Amman. (Archive)
Image of the Israeli embassy building in Amman. (Archive)

A gunman was dead and three policemen injured after a shooting near the Israeli embassy in neighboring Jordan, a security source and state media said on Sunday.
Police shot a gunman who had fired at a police patrol in the Rabiah neighborhood of Amman, state news agency Petra reported, citing public security, adding investigations were ongoing.
Jordan's government communications minister, Mohamed Momani, described the shooting as a terror attack that targeted public security forces in the country. He said in a statement that investigations into the attack were under way.
Jordanian police had earlier cordoned off an area near the heavily policed embassy after gunshots were heard, witnesses said. Two witnesses said police and ambulances rushed to the Rabiah neighborhood, where the embassy is located.
The area is a flashpoint for frequent demonstrations against Israel. The kingdom has witnessed some of the biggest peaceful rallies across the region as anti-Israel sentiment runs high over the war in Gaza.
Police had called on residents to stay in their homes as security personnel searched for the culprits, a security source said.