Arrest Of Well-known Jordanian Cartoonist Another Blow To Freedoms; New Setback For Civil Liberties

Violations of human rights and freedom of expression have escalated in Jordan, most recently the arrest of the well-known Jordanian cartoonist, Imad Hajjaj (Abu Mahjoob), during his return from the Jordan Valley, the Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Monitor said, stressing that this behavior is another blow to freedoms and a new setback for civil liberties.

Hajjaj was apparently arrested for publishing a cartoon criticizing the Emirati-Israeli peace agreement.

This comes in light of a clear increase in the practices of restricting freedom of opinion and expression in Jordan. For instance, the publisher of the online Jordan 24 - Jo24.net website, journalist Basil Al-Akour, was arrested on the background of publishing news related to the ongoing crisis between the Jordanian Teachers Syndicate and the Jordanian government, where the government practiced various methods of intimidation against anyone who publishes or circulates any news related to the issue.

Restricting freedom of opinion and expression is not acceptable for it is one of the basic foundations of any stable civil society. The Jordanian government is required to protect those rights and provide adequate guarantees for individuals in order for them to exercise their rights without any restriction or prosecution.

The Jordanian government should release Hajjaj and all other activists, and back down from its repressive policies against citizens who exercise their rights guaranteed by the relevant international laws and treaties.

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