CPJ urges Jordan authorities to withdraw charges and release Palestinian-Jordanian journalist News
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CPJ urges Jordan authorities to withdraw charges and release Palestinian-Jordanian journalist

The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) urged Jordanian authorities to withdraw all charges and immediately release Palestinian-Jordanian journalist Hiba Abu Taha on Friday.

According to the CPJ, Hiba Abu Taha was arrested on May 14 and sentenced to one-year imprisonment on June 11 for “inciting discord and strife among members of society”, and “targeting community peace and inciting violence” under the Cybercrimes Law. This came after Jordan’s Media Commission complained against Hiba Abu Taha’s April 28 article which alleged that Jordan was involved in genocide in Gaza by allowing companies to transport goods to Israel via a bridge.

CPJ’s program director in New York Carlos Martínez de la Serna said:

Jordanian authorities’ insistence on punishing reporting in the public interest using the Cybercrimes Law reeks of censorship … Jordanian authorities must immediately release Palestinian-Jordanian journalist Hiba Abu Taha, drop all charges against her [] and allow all journalists to work freely to cover matters pertaining to the Israel-Gaza war.

The Cybercrimes Law was approved by King Abdullah II of Jordan on August 12 to penalize a variety of online speech, including posts that contain content ‘promoting, instigating, aiding [] or inciting immorality.” Such posts are punishable with fines or months in prison. Posts that demonstrate ‘contempt for religion’ or ‘undermining national unity’ are also prohibited. The CPJ condemned the bill when it was passed and called for its repeal.

Besides the CPJ, the bill has also been criticized by various other human rights organizations, such as Human Rights Watch (HRW), Access Now and the Gulf Center for Human Rights, on the basis that the legislation jeopardizes “digital rights, including freedom of expression and the right to information.” HRW stated, “Such vague provisions open the door for Jordan’s executive branch to punish individuals for exercising their right to freedom of expression, forcing the judges to convict citizens in most cases.”

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