Arab human rights organization in Jordan: 80 complaints in 1999
Jordan, Politics, 4/5/2000

The Arab human rights organization in Jordan said on Monday that the kingdom witnessed in 1999 a notable increase in reported cases of human rights violations in quality and quantity.

The report asserted that the Jordanian government which was established in March, 1999 had no positive impact on the economic, cultural or political conditions in the country.

Among the main violations the annual report highlighted was the expulsion of the four leaders of the Hamas movement by the Jordanian authorities in November 1999 to Qatar, despite the fact that they are Jordanians and cannot be expelled. The organization added in its report that the Jordanian government put the four Hamas members on a plane heading for Doha, with their hands tied to their backs, a matter which indicates that the government of Jordan has not committed itself to the provisions of the constitution, by expelling citizens out of their country and treating them as criminals.

The report also highlighted 80 complaints the organization received.

They mainly pertain to the death of two persons as a result of a very bad treatment by the authorities. Others were beaten and tortured at police centers and house arrest was imposed on others, besides bad treatment for prisoners and preventing citizens from working in state-run departments and universities until after the consent of security bodies.

In a session two months earlier, Jordanian Prime Minister Abdul Raouf al-Rawabdeh admitted that there are departments and universities where nobody can work unless they obtain the consent of the security bodies, a matter which raised vast protests in trade unions, parliamentary and party circles that considered such measures as perpetuating "the intelligence mentality" on main issues in the kingdom.

The report criticized the detention of citizens for doctrine or political reasons without issuing an arrest warrant against them. It also criticized banning of demonstrations and marches, breaking into houses at night and preventing the foundation of people's associations.

The report said the organization notified the Jordanian authorities about these violations, but their response was not enough.

In its annual report in March, the US State Department criticized the direct violations of Jordanian rights in the areas of the freedom of the press and expression and custody at police centers, considering the Jordanian authorities as pursuing a tough monitoring policy and encouraging laws of discrimination among citizens.

Moreover, the organization said things continued to be corrupt while court measures and security practices are slow, and therefore prevent citizens from practicing their basic freedoms.

Last week, the Jordanian king instructed his government to establish a royal committee on human rights, but this committee did not inlcude in its structure the main political parties and local human rights groups, while pro-government members were predominant in the 10- member committee.

Previous Stories:
  Jordanian king to punish those responsible for clashes in Um Seihoun   (3/31/2000)
  Forming a Jordanian royal committee for human rights   (3/30/2000)
  On the release of Jordanian detainees   (3/16/2000)

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