Clampdown on Government Critics Augurs Poorly for Jordan

The closure of a satellite channel in Jordan which aired views critical of royal officials is the latest in a series of moves by the government to muzzle its increasingly vocal critics. Freedom House calls on Jordanian authorities to cease this harassment and to allow all citizens to express opinions freely without fear of government retribution.

On July 25, Labib Kamhawi, a prominent writer and political pundit, appeared on the talk show “Kalam Fessameen” and discussed the government’s pledge to enact reforms, which have languished despite King Abdullah II’s cabinet shakeup in May. Kamhawi, along with several other guests, called attention to problems caused by rampant corruption and a powerful intelligence agency, both of which have bedeviled reform efforts. The following day the head of the satellite channel announced he was closing the company’s offices and suspending its website, citing financial problems. Jordan’s Prime Minister Dr. Fayez Tarawneh, whom Kamhawi had taken aim at on the show, later confessed to ordering the closure. Kamhawi faces possible prosecution, including jail time, for sedition-related charges.   

The Hashemite kingdom has sought to tighten its grip amid rising opposition from activists, emboldened by Arab Spring protests across the region. A year after Mubarak’s ouster in Egypt, a Jordanian youth was arrested for burning a poster of Abdullah and charged with “undermining his majesty’s dignity.” On April 12 protesters were charged with defamation by a military court after they staged a protest, calling for an end to Abdullah’s rule. Later that month an online journalist was arrested and charged with “anti-regime sentiment” for criticizing royal authorities in a news article on his website.

The recent developments in Jordan are reflective of a region-wide crackdown on political dissent in the wake of the Arab Spring, especially pronounced in the region’s monarchies. Citizens in Oman, United Arab Emirates (UAE), and Bahrain, have also been unnecessarily targeted by authorities in recent months.

Jordan is ranked “Not Free” in Freedom House’s Freedom in the World 2012 survey, “Partly Free” in its Freedom of the Press 2011 survey and “Partly Free” in Freedom on the Net 2011. 

Learn More:

Freedom in the World 2012: Jordan

Freedom of the Press 2011: Jordan

Freedom on the Net 2011: Jordan

Jordanian Activists Detained for Criticizing King Abdullah II