The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has issued a call for Jordanian authorities to withdraw all charges and immediately release Palestinian-Jordanian journalist Hiba Abu Taha. Abu Taha was arrested on May 14 and subsequently sentenced to one year in prison on June 11. She faces accusations of “inciting discord and strife among members of society,” and “targeting community peace and inciting violence” under Jordan’s Cybercrimes Law.
According to the CPJ, the arrest follows a complaint from Jordan’s Media Commission against an article published by Abu Taha on April 28. The article alleged that Jordan’s involvement in the Gaza conflict included allowing companies to transport goods to Israel over a bridge, effectively enabling genocide. CPJ’s program director in New York, Carlos Martínez de la Serna, criticized Jordanian authorities for prosecuting journalists under the guise of maintaining public order. CPJ’s stance can be found here.
The Cybercrimes Law, which was approved by King Abdullah II on August 12, criminalizes various forms of online speech including content deemed to incite immorality or undermine national unity. Posts that show contempt for religion or disrupt community peace also fall under its jurisdiction, with penalties ranging from fines to prison terms. The law has faced opposition not only from CPJ but also from other human rights organizations such as Human Rights Watch, Access Now, and the Gulf Center for Human Rights, which argue that the legislation undermines digital rights including freedom of expression and the right to information. Human Rights Watch noted that the vague wording of the law allows for potential misuse by the executive branch to stifle free speech.
For further details, please visit the original coverage on JURIST.