Jordan: the conviction of an MP for insulting the king triggers a wave of anger

Poster of King Abdullah II of Jordan on a street in the capital Amman.

Khalil MAZRAAWI AFP

Text by: RFI Follow

1 min

Protests erupted in Jordan following the conviction, Wednesday, January 26 of a former deputy to 12 years in prison.

Osama al-Ajarmah was accused of insulting the king and trying to destabilize the Hashemite kingdom during a protest last May.

Advertising

Read more

With our correspondent in Amman

,

Hermine Le Clech

It only took a few hours after the announcement of the conviction of Osama al-Ajarmah to see circulating on social networks videos of riots in the city of Naur, southeast of Amman, from where originates the convicted ex-deputy.

We can see demonstrators burning cars, blocking roads or throwing stones at the portraits of King Abdallah II.

The anger had been rising for several weeks already, under a hashtag in the name of the ex-MP widely circulated on Twitter.

Its supporters denounce a parody of democracy, an arbitrary judgment and a political maneuver.

The ex-MP is an influential opposition figure in Jordan and gives his name to one of the country's tribes.

When he was expelled from Parliament last June, riots had already broken out in his hometown, leaving four security forces injured.

But despite everything, the regime maintains its version.

Osama al-Ajarmah would even represent a terrorist risk, according to the State Security Court.

A qualification used on several occasions by the Jordanian justice to order severe sentences and to muzzle the political opposition.

► To read also: 

Jordan: for the king, the crisis which shook the monarchy is "over"

Newsletter

Receive all the international news directly in your mailbox

I subscribe

Follow all the international news by downloading the RFI application

google-play-badge_EN

  • Jordan

  • Justice

  • Social networks

  • Abdullah II