Two Jordanian journalists freed, a third was arrested
Jordan, Politics, 2/21/2003

A Jordanian judicial source said on Wednesday that the Jordanian military court released two out of three journalists working in the Jordanian weekly al-Hilal ( the Crescent ) who were sentenced to imprisonment because of an article focused on the private relation between prophet Muhammad and his wife Aisha, after the two men paid a financial fine.

The magazine's chief editor Roman Haddad who was sentenced to two month imprisonment and Nasser Qmash, the news editor who was sentenced to three months, were released after they, according to the law, paid a fine of 90 and 180 dollars respectively.

The Jordanian judicial source stressed that the writer of the article, Muhannad Mubidin, who was sentenced for 6 months imprisonment will remain in prison, noting that the sanctions law does not permit fines instead of imprisonment if the imprisonment period exceeds three months time.

Jordanian Islamists considered the article as a defame for the Prophet Muhammad and his wife. The court also sentenced to "halt" the publication of the paper for two months as from the date of banning it on January 16th this year.

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  Jordanian journalists held in custody   (1/18/2003)
  Jordanian journalist released at a guarantee   (1/17/2002)
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