Jordan to end exemptions for honor killings

Jordanian Minister of Justice Hamzeh Haddad announced in Amman on Monday that the Jordanian government will soon submit to the parliament a draft law providing for abrogating item 340 of the sanctions law, which exempts those who commit "honor" killings from penalties stated in the law, which may reach the death penalty.

The Jordanian minister stressed during his participation in the symposium organized by the Jordanian National Committee for Women's Affairs that the Cabinet had approved the abrogation and the draft law will in this respect will be submitted to the Parliament by the beginning of next month.

This draft law came following a national campaign launched by Jordanian lawyers, doctors and journalists in the last months with the objective of canceling that article which permits those who commit "honor" killings against women under the pretext of defending family honor to receive light court sentences of just three months to one year imprisonment.

Annually between 25-30 women are killed in Jordan under claims of "honor" killings.