Capital punishment in Jordan

Capital punishment is legal in Jordan. The country had a moratorium on capital punishment between 2006 and 2014. The method of execution is hanging, previously shooting was the sole method.[1]

History

Between 2000 and the imposition of a moratorium in 2006 there had been 41 executions, either for murder, terrorism or sexual offences.[2]

In 2006 the Jordanian cabinet launched a plan to limit the number of capital offences from sixteen to ten.[3]

On 21 December 2014 eleven persons were hanged, all men which were convicted of murder in 2005 and 2006.[4][5] These were the first executions since June 2006, 122 sentences of capital punishment had been handed out since.[5] Shortly before the executions Interior Minister Hussein Al-Majali had stated that capital punishment might be reinstated due to a major debate on the subject, and with the public believing that a recent rise in crime was caused by non-application of the death penalty.[5] The lifting of the moratorium was criticized by human rights organisations.[6]

On 4 February 2015, shortly after discovering Jordanian pilot Muath al-Kasasbeh had been killed by Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, Jordan executed Sajida Mubarak Atrous al-Rishawi and Ziad Khalaf Raja al-Karbouly. Both had been convicted of terrorist offences.[7] In February 2016 local media reported that a government committee had recommended the execution of 13 offenders, out of 80 investigated cases. A government spokesperson said that a decision was not yet taken.[8]

Capital offences

Capital punishment is possible amongst others for murder, rape, terrorism, drug trafficking, treason and espionage.[3]

Legal procedure

In recent years most verdicts of capital punishment have been handed out by the State Security Court.[9] Cases in which capital punishment is sentenced receive an automatic appeal.[10]

Article 93 of the Constitution of Jordan holds that "no death sentence may be carried out unless ratified by the King. Every such sentence shall be submitted to him by the Council of Ministers along with the council’s view on it."[11]

Several categories of persons are excluded from being subjected to capital punishment. These are those under the age of 18, pregnant women, the mentally ill and mentally retarded.[1]

Debate

In 2005 King Abdullah II of Jordan stated that: "in coordination with the European Union, we would like to modify our Penal Code. Jordan could soon become the first country in the Middle East without capital punishment."[11]

In 2008 and 2010 Jordan abstained to vote on the United Nations moratorium on the death penalty.[2]

In November 2014 the Jordanian cabinet formed a committee to explore whether Jordan should reinstate the application of capital punishment.[11]

References

  1. 1 2 "Jordan". Death Penalty Worldwide. 28 June 2013. Retrieved 21 December 2014.
  2. 1 2 "Amman Center for Human Rights Studies 5th Annual Report, The Death Penalty in the Arab World 2010" (PDF). Amman Center for Human Rights Studies. 2010. p. 19. Retrieved 21 December 2014.
  3. 1 2 "Jordan Executes 11 Men After Lifting of Eight Year Execution Ban". Sputnik.com. 21 December 2014. Retrieved 21 December 2014.
  4. ↑ "Jordan ends death penalty moratorium with 11 executions". BBC. 21 December 2014. Retrieved 21 December 2014.
  5. 1 2 3 "Jordan hangs 11 after lifting execution ban". Al Jazeera. 21 December 2014. Retrieved 21 December 2014.
  6. ↑ "Jordan hangs 11 men after eight-year halt to death penalty". The Guardian. 21 December 2014. Retrieved 21 December 2014.
  7. ↑ Rod Norland and Ranya Kadri (3 February 2015). "Jordan Executes 2 Prisoners After ISIS Video of Pilot’s Death". New York Times. Retrieved 4 February 2015.
  8. ↑ Rana Husseini (17 February 2016). "No decision yet on death row cases — official". The Jordan Times. Retrieved 7 April 2016.
  9. ↑ Roger G. Hood; Carolyn Hoyle (2008). The Death Penalty: A Worldwide Perspective. Oxford University Press. pp. 248–. ISBN 978-0-19-922846-1.
  10. ↑ "2010 Human Rights Report: Jordan". Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor - United States Department of State. 8 April 2011. Retrieved 21 December 2014.
  11. 1 2 3 Rana Husseini (9 November 2014). "‘Panel to examine whether to reinstate executions’". The Jordan Times. Retrieved 21 December 2014.
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