Human Rights Watch (HRW), along with 13 other human rights organizations such as Access Now and the Gulf Center for Human Rights (GCHR), called on the Jordanian government on Monday to withdraw a proposed cybercrime law currently under discussion in Parliament. The organizations held that the bill, which will replace Jordan’s 2015 cybercrimes law, would undermine digital rights and restrict the Jordanian government from achieving its stated goals of tackling hate speech, disinformation and online defamation.

According to the organizations’ joint statement, the draft law does not comply with international human rights principles ratified in Jordan’s digital rights conventions. Articles 14, 15, 16, 17, and 19 of the draft law employs ambiguously defined terms. Article 24 increases online censorship and hinders free expression. Article 12 undermines online anonymity, and Article 37 would introduce new control mechanisms over social media platforms.

Previously on September 18, 2022, HRW reported that, over recent years, Jordanian authorities have criminalized key civil freedoms like speech, association and assembly through vague and abusive laws. These include the Crime Prevention Law of 1954, the Penal Code of 1960, the Anti-Terrorism Law of 2006, and the Cybercrime Law of 2015. Middle East director of HRW Lama Fakih also stated that “[t]here is an urgent need to address the downward spiral on rights we are seeing in Jordan today.” Fakih went on to say, “‘Maintaining stability’ can never be a justification for abusing people’s rights and closing space that every society needs.”

In addition, GCHR pointed out on June 29, 2022 that Jordanian authorities have promulgated legislations that restricts public freedom. GCHR urged Jordanian authorities to protect public freedom by “[u]rgently issu[ing] legislation that protects public freedoms and, in particular, freedom of expression and freedom of the press in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution, and in line with international legal standards and covenants.” GCHR also urged Jordan to “[a]mend all legislations that put restrictions on public freedoms and repeal Article 225 of the Penal Code, which limits freedom of expression.”