Jordan’s cybercrime law is a tool for repressing journalists
Four journalists have been convicted under the cybercrime law passed a year ago, in September 2023. Two of them are still in prison. Reporters Without Borders (RSF) is concerned about the current crackdowns against the press and calls on the candidates in the legislative elections taking place on 10 September to repeal the law.
In Jordan’s current political climate, journalists reporting on certain citizens’ discontent with the government face legal prosecution under the country’s cybercrime law. The law, adopted in September 2023 and deemed "draconian" by RSF, includes offenses such as disseminating false information and inciting discord, punishable by up to three years' imprisonment.
Four media professionals have already been wrongly convicted under this vaguely-worded law, which leaves too much up to the interpretation of judges. Two of the convicted journalists, Hiba Abu Taha and satirical columnist Ahmad Hassan al-Zoubi, are still behind bars. According to RSF’s information, al-Zoubi’s health has deteriorated in the past few days due to the harsh conditions of the overcrowded prison known as the "Marka Reform and Rehabilitation Center."
"Jordan’s law on cybercrime provides the government with a dangerous tool for repressing journalists. The four convictions already handed down illustrate the climate of fear that the kingdom is trying to instill in the profession. The members of parliament elected after the September 10th elections can reverse this trend by repealing this draconian text and immediately freeing satirical commentator Ahmad Hassan al-Zoubi and journalist Hiba Abu Taha. Gagging the press will never silence the public’s discontent or the expression of their needs."
Prison sentences ranging from one week to one year
Al-Zoubi, the last person convicted under the cybercrime law, is also the most severely punished. The 49-year-old journalist, founder of the news website Sawalif, and longtime columnist for the state-owned daily Al Rai, has been imprisoned since 2 July. He was sentenced to one year in prison for criticizing the Jordanian authorities on social media. On 13 May, Taha was arrested and detained following an opinion piece she had published on Jordan's ties with Israel since the start of the war in Gaza.
Before al-Zoubi and Taha, freelance journalist Khairuddin al-Jabri was detained for a week in March for sharing an online video critical of the war in Gaza. He was charged with inciting discord and defamation of a public authority under the same law. In December 2023, freelance journalist Nour Haddad, accused of defamation of a public authority and disseminating false information threatening national security, was detained for a week and fined 5,000 dinars (nearly 6,500 euros). The fine was cancelled in March 2024 on the basis of an amnesty law.
Silencing critics
Several news professionals have also faced obstructions to their reporting this year due to the cybercrime law. In March, two photojournalists, Charles Dessi from the news site 7eber and freelance photographer Abdul Jabbar Zeitoun, were arrested while covering demonstrations in Amman against the war in Gaza; Zeitoun was held for a week while Dessi was held for nearly a month. In April, Norwegian freelance journalist Synne Bjerkestrand faced police intimidation while covering the protests.
Since the start of the war in Gaza, the monarchy has faced criticism from a significant part of its population due to the status quo with Israel. Jordan is ranked 132nd out of 180 countries in RSF's 2024 World Press Freedom Index. The Hashemite kingdom has fallen 12 places since 2022.
