Jordan’s Judiciary Dissolves Muslim Brotherhood

FILE PHOTO: A general view shows a closed-down part of Al-Nasr area, amid the coronavirus outbreak, in Amman, Jordan, April 15, 2020. REUTERS/Muhammad Hamed
FILE PHOTO: A general view shows a closed-down part of Al-Nasr area, amid the coronavirus outbreak, in Amman, Jordan, April 15, 2020. REUTERS/Muhammad Hamed
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Jordan’s Judiciary Dissolves Muslim Brotherhood

FILE PHOTO: A general view shows a closed-down part of Al-Nasr area, amid the coronavirus outbreak, in Amman, Jordan, April 15, 2020. REUTERS/Muhammad Hamed
FILE PHOTO: A general view shows a closed-down part of Al-Nasr area, amid the coronavirus outbreak, in Amman, Jordan, April 15, 2020. REUTERS/Muhammad Hamed

Jordan's top court has dissolved the country's branch of the Muslim Brotherhood, an official said Thursday, citing the group's failure to "rectify its legal status".

"The Court of Cassation yesterday (Wednesday) issued a final verdict ruling that the Muslim Brotherhood group is dissolved and has lost its legal status, for failing to rectify its legal status under Jordanian law," the official said, requesting anonymity.

Since 2014, Jordanian authorities have considered the group illegal, arguing its licence was not renewed under a 2014 law on political parties.

It continued to operate, but its relations with the Jordanian state deteriorated further from 2015 when the government authorized an offshoot group, the Muslim Brotherhood Association, AFP said.

Sheikh Hamza Mansur, head of the organisation's ruling council, said the group would appeal against Wednesday's ruling.

"The Muslim Brotherhood ... is a model of moderation and an important element in strengthening national unity, so dissolving it is not in the national interest," told AFP.



US Defers Removal of Some Lebanese, Citing Israel-Hezbollah Tensions

Smoke billows from a site targeted by Lebanon's Hezbollah, along the northern Israeli border with Lebanon on July 25, 2024, amid ongoing cross-border clashes between Israeli troops and Hezbollah fighters. (AFP)
Smoke billows from a site targeted by Lebanon's Hezbollah, along the northern Israeli border with Lebanon on July 25, 2024, amid ongoing cross-border clashes between Israeli troops and Hezbollah fighters. (AFP)
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US Defers Removal of Some Lebanese, Citing Israel-Hezbollah Tensions

Smoke billows from a site targeted by Lebanon's Hezbollah, along the northern Israeli border with Lebanon on July 25, 2024, amid ongoing cross-border clashes between Israeli troops and Hezbollah fighters. (AFP)
Smoke billows from a site targeted by Lebanon's Hezbollah, along the northern Israeli border with Lebanon on July 25, 2024, amid ongoing cross-border clashes between Israeli troops and Hezbollah fighters. (AFP)

The United States is deferring the removal of certain Lebanese citizens from the country, President Joe Biden said on Friday, citing humanitarian conditions in southern Lebanon amid tensions between Israel and Hezbollah.

The deferred designation, which lasts 18 months, allows Lebanese citizens to remain in the country with the right to work, according to a memorandum Biden sent to the Department of Homeland Security.

"Humanitarian conditions in southern Lebanon have significantly deteriorated due to tensions between Hezbollah and Israel," Biden said in the memo.

"While I remain focused on de-escalating the situation and improving humanitarian conditions, many civilians remain in danger; therefore, I am directing the deferral of removal of certain Lebanese nationals who are present in the United States."

Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah have been trading fire since Hezbollah announced a "support front" with Palestinians shortly after its ally Hamas attacked southern Israeli border communities on Oct. 7, triggering Israel's military assault in Gaza.

The fighting in Lebanon has killed more than 100 civilians and more than 300 Hezbollah fighters, according to a Reuters tally, and led to levels of destruction in Lebanese border towns and villages not seen since the 2006 Israel-Lebanon war.

On the Israeli side, 10 Israeli civilians, a foreign agricultural worker and 20 Israeli soldiers have been killed. Tens of thousands have been evacuated from both sides of the border.