Jordan - Latest Press Releases

Jordan: National Centre for Human Rights Review Deferred To Fall 2016 as Legal Reform is Undertaken

JOR - News | 01 February 2016

The Jordan National Centre for Human Rights (JNCHR)'s review for its reaccreditation to the International Coordinating Committee of National Human Rights Institutions for the Protection of Human Rights (ICC-NHRI) was deferred to the fall session of 2016. The JNCHR has indeed proposed amendments to its enabling law which may have a considerable impact on its compliance with the Paris Principles − a set of international standards relating to the status of NHRIs upon which the assessment for the reaccreditation is made. This is what emerges from the report of the Sub-Committee on Accreditation (SCA) of the ICC for its November 2015 session, published on 26 January 2016. Alkarama, which had called upon the ICC to grant the JNCHR with a "B" status to mark its lack of compliance with international standards, welcomes this initiative and calls upon the authorities to allow the JNCHR to undertake reforms in order to guarantee its impartiality and effectiveness.

Jordan: Professor Eyad Qunaibi Sentenced to 2 Years in Prison for Facebook Post

JOR - News | 18 December 2015

On 7 December 2015, Eyad Qunaibi, a 40-year-old professor in pharmacology, was sentenced to two years imprisonment by the State Security Court for "incitement against the political regime" for having published a Facebook post, on 10 June 2015, criticising, among others, his country's ties with Israel and the westernisation of Jordanian society. Considering that the free expression of Dr Qunaibi's critical opinion should in no way constitute a crime, Alkarama called on the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to Freedom of Opinion and Expression (SR Freedex) asking him to urge the Jordanian authorities to revoke their decision.

Jordan: UN Experts Concerned Over Situation of Torture

JOR - News | 11 December 2015

On 9 December 2015, the United Nations Committee against Torture (CAT) expressed its concern over the practice of torture in Jordan in its concluding observations, issued after the Committee analysed Jordan's National Report and engaged in a constructive dialogue with the State to assess the implementation of the Convention against Torture (UNCAT) in the country. The UN experts were especially concerned over the lack of appropriate criminalisation of torture in Jordan's legislation; the broad definition of terrorism applied by the State; the use of torture in order to extract confessions – in particular by the General Intelligence Directorate – and the conditions of detention and lack of fundamental guarantees for detainees. All the issues highlighted by the Committee had previously been raised by Alkarama in its shadow report sent to the CAT in view of the country's review.

Jordan: On the Use of Torture by Jordan Intelligence Services...

JOR - News | 30 October 2015

On 23 October 2015, Alkarama sent its shadow report on the use of torture in Jordan to the United Nations Committee against Torture (CAT), in view of the country's upcoming review by the Committee during its 56th session. Despite recognising that several positive steps were taken by the Jordanian government since its last review in 2010, Alkarama report highlights that torture and other ill-treatments in Jordan continue to be used, especially by the Jordanian intelligence services who systematically arrest, detain and torture opposition figures, peaceful protesters and media workers under the Anti-Terrorism Law, with the aim to provide the State Security Court (SSC) with "confessions" that will then be used as an evidence.

Jordan: Human Rights Activist Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison After Unfair Trial Before State Security Court

JOR - News | 05 October 2015

On 29 July 2015, human rights activist Amer Jubran was sentenced to 10 years in prison by the State Security Court following an unfair trial during which confessions extracted under torture were admitted as evidence. In view of this decision, Amer appealed to the Cassation Court, which has not considered his case yet. Following this, Amer's friends and family sent a communication to the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention (WGAD) in September calling upon the Jordanian authorities to release him immediately, as well as launched a campaign on his behalf.

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Jordan - HR Instruments

International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR)

ICCPR: Ratified on 28.05.1975
Optional Protocol: No

State report: Due on 29.10.2014 (5th)
Last concluding observations: 18.11.2010

Convention against Torture (CAT)

CAT: Accessed on 13.11.1991
Optional Protocol: No
Art. 20 (Confidential inquiry): Yes
Art. 22 (Individual communications): No

Last State report: 19.08.2014 (3rd)
Last concluding observations: 25.05.2010

International Convention for the Protection of all Persons from Enforced Disappearance (CED)

No

Universal Periodic Review (UPR)

Last review: October 2013 (2nd cycle)
Next review: N/A

National Human Rights Institution (NHRI)

National Centre for Human Rights (NCHR) – Status A

Last review: 10.2010
Next review: 11.2015