AMMAN —
The
National Center for Human Rights (NCHR) has called for the release of
recently arrested activists, saying in a statement carried by Ammon News that
in accordance with Article 114 of Jordan’s penal code “arrest is an exceptional
measure, and should not happen except in accordance with specific conditions.”
اضافة اعلان
According to the
statement the NCHR contended that it has been closely following the arrest of a
number of activists in various regions of the Kingdom, and emphasized that “the
right to free expression is a basic building block for any true democratic
society” because it guarantees individuals the right to participation in
decisions that impact them.
“Guaranteeing the
practice of free expression supports stability and security, and strengthens
the diversity and vitality of society. This right has been protected on a
national level by Article 25 of the Jordanian constitution, as well as by
international human rights, foremost among them is Article 19 of the
International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights,” the statement said.
“That covenant
placed conditions on restricting the right to free expression by the state,
most importantly, these restrictions are clearly expressed in the law and
should serve a legitimate purpose, and any punishment should be proportional to
the act committed” the statement added.
Furthermore, the
statement highlighted that Article 9 (3) of the covenant and international
human rights in general state that people should not be detained before trial
because the act of detaining someone contradicts the constitutional principle
of innocent until proven guilty.
The center
emphasized here the need to “adhere to national legal grounds, namely Article
114 of the penal code, which states that arrest is an exceptional measure and
should not happen except in accordance with specific conditions and
justifications,” the statement added.
The NCHR noted
that the vague nature of some national legislation has greatly contributed to
broadening the scope of criminalized acts, and formed restrictions on freedom
of expression, in contradiction with Article 25 of the Jordanian constitution.
Article 128 (1) of the constitution also affirms that laws may not affect basic
rights.
The center called
for a review of legislation related to free expression, guarantees to practice
that right in various forms, like writing, publishing, commenting, and
assembling in parallel with Jordan’s efforts to modernize the political system.
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