Charges dropped against Jordanians detained in Israel

AMMAN — The Israeli authorities have dropped charges against the two Jordanians detained in Israel after crossing the border during last month’s protests, Musab al-Daajah and Khalifa al-Anouz, according to a tweet from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.اضافة اعلان

According to the Ministry, work “is currently underway to arrange the procedures for their release and handover to the Jordanian authorities.”

The two men were arrested on Sunday, May 16th after crossing the border into Israel. Large crowds had gathered at the border to protest the Israeli occupation’s forced evictions of Palestinians living in Sheikh Jarrah, a neighborhood in annexed East Jerusalem. 

Daajah and Anouz, 38 and 29 respectively, are both from a village in Irbid in northern Jordan. Neither man informed their families of their intentions to cross the border.

On June 6th, they were charged with a variety of serious crimes, including conspiracy to commit terrorist crimes against Israeli settlers, the detainees’ lawyer, illegally entering Israel, and the alleged possession of knives, per Jordan News’ previous reporting.

Mahmoud Musa Al-Anouz, Khalifa's father of the detainee in Israeli prisons, told Jordan News that Ambassador Haitham Abu Al-Ful contacted them from the Jordanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, assuring them that the Israeli authorities had dropped the indictment against the two men, and also canceled the arrest procedures.

His joy was overwhelming, and he reiterated his thanks to God. He said that he has not stopped praying for his son since he left the house. He also said that what hurt him most was the torture to which his son was subjected. He recalled that every time his son's lawyer called him, he wished that he hears the news of their release.

Khalifah’s mother started crying with joy when she heard the news. She said that she was confident that the Jordanian government will work hard on bringing the detainees back to their homes and families. She said her son's "unknown fate made my days harsher than death."

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