Jordanian security forces raided Saturday the headquarters of the Islamic Action Front (IAF) in Irbid, 85 km north of the capital Amman, demanding the handover of the headquarters for the licensed Muslim Brotherhood, according to a security source.
The source told Asharq Al-Awsat that the security measure was an implementation of the decision made by Irbid’s Governor Radwan al-Atoum to handover IAF’s headquarters for the Muslim Brotherhood.
The IAF’s leadership denounced the governor’s decision as the party members continue their protest inside the headquarters and refuse to hand it over.
The party’s administration refused to hand over the headquarters since it is a chartered official contract, considering this action contrary to the law and the constitution “and represents a flagrant violation of freedoms as it is an invasion on the headquarters of a law-abiding party, and its entry is only permitted by a final judicial decision.”
IAF Spokesman Murad Adayleh stressed his party’s refusal to hand over its branch’s headquarters, pointing out that the decision is a clear violation of the law since the headquarters belong to a licensed political party under the virtue of the law, which stipulates that the headquarters and property of the parties are protected and may not be attacked.
IAF’s Deputy Secretary-General Naim Khasawneh said that the decision of the Governor of Irbid came after negotiations Saturday morning between the leadership of the party and the Deputy Governor, who asked them to handover the headquarters, but they rejected the request, stressing that the party has a legal lease that expires in 2020, and no party has the right to evacuate it without judicial order.
“The leadership of the party confirmed for the deputy governor that IAF is not part of the conflict between the newly licensed Muslim Brotherhood and the old Muslim Brotherhood and that it is a licensed party by law,” Khasawneh added.
