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January 23, 2025 – Jordan –
Jordanian authorities released satirical journalist Ahmed Hassan al‑Zoubi after he served approximately seven months in prison. His sentence was commuted to community service by the Amman Criminal Court, following an earlier one-year jail term handed down in August 2023 for a critical social media post about a transportation strike in Ma’an Governorate.
Al‑Zoubi—a well-known columnist for the state-owned newspaper Al‑Rai and founder of the online platform Sawaleif—began serving his sentence in July 2024. Jordan’s Cybercrime Law, enacted in 2023, was cited in his conviction, with charges of inciting discord under penal provisions related to “inciting conflict” via digital platforms.
During his imprisonment, the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), alongside other rights advocates like Amnesty International and Reporters Without Borders, vocally condemned the prosecution. They argued that Al‑Zoubi’s satirical commentary fell well within accepted standards of free expression and called for reforms to the Cybercrime Law, warning it was being used to repress dissent and criminalize journalism.
IFJ’s Secretary‑General Anthony Bellanger welcomed the decision to commute the remainder of Al‑Zoubi’s sentence. However, he emphasized that his imprisonment was unjustified. Bellanger urged Jordanian authorities to stop using the Cybercrime Law to silence journalists, including Hiba Abu Taha, another reporter sentenced to a year in June 2024 for an article linking Jordan to Israel in the context of the Gaza war.
The case underscores the rapidly shrinking space for media freedom in Jordan under the Cybercrime Law. Critics point out that its broad definitions of “insult,” “incitement,” and “national security threats” enable authorities to persecute satirists, independent voices, and journalists without transparent legal standards.
Al‑Zoubi’s release may offer temporary relief, but it highlights persistent systemic risks. Press freedom groups now call upon Jordan to repeal or amend its restrictive cybercrime provisions, safeguarding journalism from politically motivated persecution. Jordan faces mounting international pressure to align its media laws with global standards and uphold freedom of expression.
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