AMMAN — A
report on the state of human rights in Jordan in 2022, published by
the US State Department, makes reference to credible reports of torture and
other cruel, inhuman, and degrading treatment or punishment by government authorities
in Jordan, detailing restrictions on the freedom of speech and the media within
the Kingdom, Jo24 reported.
اضافة اعلان
Among
the human rights violations described by the report are arbitrary arrest and
detention, political imprisonment or detainment, and arbitrary or unlawful
interference with privacy.
The
report details “serious restrictions” on freedom of expression and the media,
including harassment and intimidation of journalists, unjustified arrests or
prosecutions of journalists, censorship, and enforcement of and
threat to enforce criminal libel laws, among many other practices.
The
report further says that those responsible for human rights violations in
Jordan continued with widespread impunity.
At least 200 people were arrested and imprisoned by the government last year for political reasons, including criticizing the government and its foreign policies
Biased trials, tortureThe
report criticizes the trial of offending police officers in police courts that
are under the control of the Ministry of Interior, rather than referring them
to
independent civil courts, while organizations complained frequently of not
being able to access information about the results of these cases.
The
report states that, although the Jordanian constitution prohibits torture,
reliable reports received from international and local non-governmental
organizations indicate that government officials have used torture and other
forms of mistreatment in police and security detention centers.
Arrest and detentionSecurity
personnel in Jordan detained political activists for chanting slogans
criticizing the authorities during the protests, and some activists were
detained without charge last year, according to the report. Most of these
arrests lasted several days, and in some cases several months.
The
report noted that several detainees went on hunger strike to protest their
arbitrary arrest and detention.
At
least 200 people were arrested and imprisoned by the government last year for
political reasons, including criticizing the government and its foreign
policies, government officials, official bodies, or foreign countries, or
chanting slogans or writing posts online, the report said.
Privacy concerns, censorshipIn
addition, the phones of nearly 200 activists, journalists, politicians, and
government officials were targeted by Pegasus spyware, with a separate report
by an NGO alleging that the government was behind the spyware.
Meanwhile,
independent media operated under strict restrictions and constant pressure,
including the threat of
heavy fines and prison sentences, according to the
report. Journalists from state and independent media also reported that security
officials used bribes, threats, and political pressure to force editors to
publish pro-government articles in online and print newspapers.
In February, the security services arrested nine activists belonging to the tribal Hirak movement after they participated in peaceful protests. They remained in administrative detention for several months without any announced charges.
The
report touched on the censorship imposed by the government on the media and
online activists, and its affect on journalists. It stated that the government
resorted to "withholding financial support or scholarships for
relatives" in some cases in order to censor
media content.
Last
year, newspaper editors received phone calls from security officials instructing
them on how to cover or refrain from covering certain topics or events,
particularly criticism of political reform.
The
government also threatened websites and journalists who criticized it, while
generously subsidizing websites that reported positively on the government, the
report noted.
Truck strike coverageThe
strike by truck drivers at the end of last year is one example of media
censorship cited in the report, which stated that the press coverage of the
strike remained very limited, while the media covered the killing of four
officers from the
Public Security Directorate extensively.
“Citizens
anecdotally related difficulty finding news of the protest situation, including
road closures, as demonstrations occurred across the country,” the report read.
Pre-emptive arrestsThe
report also highlighted arrests that took place in March of 2022, when the security
services pre-emptively arrested nearly 40 political activists after calls on
social media for a demonstration on March 24 on the occasion of the anniversary
of the Arab Spring in Jordan.
Also
in March, the security services pre-emptively detained nearly 200 supporters of
the then-dissolved Teachers Syndicate, before it resumed work in June, after
union members called for a demonstration outside the
Ministry of Education.
In
February, the security services arrested nine activists belonging to the tribal
Hirak movement after they participated in peaceful protests. They remained in
administrative detention for several months without any announced charges.
The
report also touched on the formation of associations and political parties,
saying that citizens widely feel that the government has infiltrated civil
society organizations, political parties, and human rights organizations.
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