According to a report released on Sunday by Human Rights Watch, Jordanian authorities have increased their persecution and harassment of political opponents and common people over the past four years while also passing a number of legislation to stifle dissent.
In order to suppress political dissent, authorities imprisoned, interrogated, and harassed journalists, political activists, members of independent labour unions, and their families, according to a study by a rights organisation. Authorities also limited their access to basic rights.
According to Lama Fakih, Middle East director for Human Rights Watch, “there is an urgent need to confront the downward spiral on rights we are seeing in Jordan right now.”
Fakih continued, “‘Maintaining stability’ can never be an excuse for violating people’s rights and eliminating space that every society requires.
The New York-based rights organisation claimed it looked at 30 instances between 2019 and 2022 in which police arrested and charged people for peacefully expressing their political beliefs on social media or in public assemblies by invoking overly broad criminal defamation laws.
According to HRW, the Jordanian government has also banned independent trade unions and political parties.
Numerous activists have been detained in recent years due to remarks they made on social media.
In a reprimand to the agency with a pervasive influence in public life, steadfast ally of the United States King Abdullah had urged the intelligence services to confine their efforts to ensuring national security and combating terrorism.
Politicians claim that the conservative establishment will make it difficult for the monarch to advance more extensive economic and political reforms.
Jordanian rights advocates have previously charged the government with exploiting the emergency legislation passed to combat COVID-19 as a justification to restrict civil and political rights by exercising harsh powers.
The administration recently claimed that the recently passed political parties law, which was passed earlier this year, eased limits on nonviolent opposition activism and was a step towards greater democratisation.
Featured Image: Human Rights Measurement Initiative
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