Fate of Jordanian Activists: Arrested for Backing Resistance

In a series of crackdowns by Jordanian authorities against Gaza sympathizers, authorities seek to prosecute several activists for supporting Palestinian resistance. Some have been referred to the specialized State Security Court for terrorism-related charges amidst calls for their release.

Since the Israeli aggression on Gaza on October 7, 2023, thousands of Jordanians have staged large protests in several provinces, particularly near the Israeli Occupation embassy in Amman, chanting in support of Palestinian resistance: "O Abdullah, O son of Hussein! We want to liberate Palestine."

Trial of Activists 

Popular circles in Jordan continue to await the trial of four Jordanians accused of supporting Palestinian resistance in the occupied territories: Heba Abu Taha, Naeem Jaabou, and Ayman Sanduka, who were arrested in December 2023, urging the upcoming Parliament to amend these laws.

The National Forum to Support Resistance and Protect the Homeland in Jordan stated that the arrest of writers, journalists, party members, and political activists for expressing their opinions on public matters is an unacceptable approach that widens the gap of trust between the people and their institutions and undermines the political reform system.

In a statement on July 7, 2024, the National Forum demanded the release of Heba Abu Taha, Naeem Jaabou, Ayman Sanduka, and others detained for their opinions, and the amendment of all legislation restricting freedom of expression, particularly the Penal Code and the Cybercrime Law.

During a rally attended by thousands of Jordanians on July 7, supporting and endorsing the brave Palestinian people in Gaza facing Israeli Occupation for eight months, demonstrators demanded the release of activists detained for supporting Palestinian resistance.

The march, organized by the Islamic Movement under the slogan "Migration and operation al-Aqsa Flood," reaffirmed Jordanians' support for Palestinian armed resistance as a means to deter the enemy and defeat “Israel.”

General Supervisor of the Muslim Brotherhood, Murad Adailah, called on the Jordanian state to open a new page before the upcoming parliamentary elections (scheduled for November 2024), strengthen domestic fronts, and immediately release all detainees of conscience, including Islamic Movement leader Naeem Jaabou and political activist Ayman Sanduka.

Observers believe that Jordan's continued crackdown on pro-Palestinian and resistance supporters may further escalate internal tensions, amid ongoing Jordanian protests condemning Israeli crimes committed in Gaza.

Accused of Terrorism

In another case related to supporting Palestinian resistance, Jordanian authorities have continued for over a year to detain three Jordanian citizens (Ibrahim Jabr, Hudhaifa Jabr, and Khalid al-Majdalawi) on charges of attempting to supply weapons to the Palestinian Resistance. They have been referred to the State Security Court, which specializes in terrorism cases.

Jabr’s brothers, Ibrahim and Hudhaifa, were arrested on May 13, 2023, under the pretext of transporting weapons from one point to another intended to support the resistance in the West Bank. According to their indictment, their alleged role was "transporting weapons from a point in al-Mafraq city to another point in Huwara town." However, their defense team argues that the circumstances surrounding their confessions, according to their statements, are subject to challenge.

The indictment was issued by the State Security Prosecutor and referred to the State Security Court. However, the court has not scheduled a trial date for nearly six months, while the defendants remain detained pending trial.

As for the third detainee, Khalid al-Majdalawi, he was arrested on June 2, 2023, and categorically denied any organizational ties to the Palestinian Resistance Movement (Hamas), asserting that he "contributed to relief efforts and fundraising to assist the affected and students in Gaza."

The detainees are currently held in the Prison of Marka, where a scheduled trial in October 2023 was canceled. According to statements made by Ibrahim and Hudhaifa Jabr to their defense team, they view supporting the resistance as a religious, national, and humanitarian duty deserving of respect and appreciation, arguing that their actions should be celebrated.

On July 2, 2024, the Jordanian State Security Court held its first session to try the three detainees, with their lawyer, Abdel Qader al-Khatib, arguing that the court lacked jurisdiction over this case, as it is prepared to consider terrorism-related issues.

According to Arabi21 newspaper, al-Khatib stated that "without accepting the charges against my clients, what they are accused of relates to providing support to the resistance on Jordanian land that was previously occupied by Israel." The lawyer emphasized that the actions of the three accused [Ibrahim Jabr, Hudhaifa Jabr, and Khalid al-Majdalawi] were even justifiable under Jordanian laws, questioning, “How can resistance be deemed unjustifiable when its supporters are referred to terrorism courts?”

Continuous Demonization

Prior to the arrest campaigns, especially those targeting activists after a massive protest near the Israeli embassy in March 2024, the official rhetoric in the country shifted towards demonstrations. Official incitement against participants in daily sit-ins near the Israeli embassy in the capital, Amman, began.

Government spokesperson Muhannad al-Mubaidin stated in an interview with Sky News Arabia on March 29 that "any attempts to incite against the Jordanian state are desperate attempts to distract and divert our focus."

"We urge Hamas leaders to provide advice and call for the necessity of preserving peace and urging resilience for our people in Gaza," he added, noting that "Jordan is a sovereign country with its constitutional references, and its leadership surpasses these references."

"When King Abdullah II is at the forefront of the Arab position, we do not look at some political amateurs or those who want to gain popularity on the ruins of the destruction that befell Gaza as a result of this catastrophic war."

"This stance comes because the Palestinian issue has Jordanian specificity and is part of our national security. Bankrupt ideologies want to incite public opinion by exploiting emotions and sentiments, as there are forces trying to undermine Jordan's position or force Jordan to make other choices," al-Mubaidin added.

In response, Member of Parliament Omar Ayasra stated in an interview with AlMamlaka official channel on March 29 that "Jordan has a high institutional capacity in dealing with protests, with institutions including security, political, and royal palaces finely handling all sensitivities and contradictions in the street."

Former General Security Director Fadel al-Hmoud participated in the campaign against protests and posted on X on March 28, saying, “We do not know if there are external dictates to some who live among us to ask only from this country [without others] Fear God, and do not let the patience and tolerance of the forbearing deceive you.”

Before that, Prime Minister Bisher Khasawneh responded to demands for the release of detainees by attacking what he termed "the fifth column" within, which aims to undermine Jordan's official stances regarding the Israeli aggression on Gaza.

During his speech in the Jordanian Parliament on November 16, 2023, he stated, "There are no detainees of opinion in Jordan, and we grant freedom that reaches the sky in expressing absolute and complete solidarity to block the fifth column."

Khasawneh clarified that Jordan's position is united and clear behind the “progressive and pioneering stance” led by King Abdullah II to halt the war in Gaza and expose crimes classified as war crimes.

He pointed out that “there is no division between public and official positions regarding the Israeli Occupation's crimes against the people in Gaza and the occupied West Bank.”

"Everywhere there is a fifth column, even among us, it exists, and there is a need to collectively confront it with one hand," he continued, stressing the importance of "being vigilant against it and all its malicious and organized efforts to mislead the compass towards internal tensions."

Khasawneh concluded his remarks by saying, "We tell them they are mistaken if they think they can undermine our national unity in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan."