Jordan Times
Thursday, January 18, 2007
Court upholds verdict
against 6 men, acquits 4
By Rana Husseini
AMMAN — The State Security Court (SSC) on Wednesday upheld its verdict against
six men accused of plotting subversive acts and recruiting men to fight US
forces in Iraq, following a Court of Cassation examination of the verdicts.
The men received prison terms ranging from three to five years.
Four other defendants standing trial with the group were acquitted of charges of
undermining and attempting to undermine the country’s relations with another
country, for lack of evidence.
The suspects were handed reduced jail sentences in March but the Cassation Court
overturned the verdicts and asked the SSC to reconsider its judgements since
“based on the case documents, some of the defendants should not be convicted of
the charges levelled against them.”
The suspects were indicted in July 2005 for “carrying out an activity not
approved by the government, which jeopardised Jordan’s relations with another
country,” court papers said.
Meanwhile, two men charged with plotting to kill Americans in the country on
Wednesday pleaded not guilty to the charges during their opening session.
Mohammad Hussein Shehadeh, 25, a Jordanian, and Kuwaiti-born Mohammad Samih
Hotari, 25, are accused of plotting to carry out terrorist attacks in the
Kingdom and possession of an unlicensed automatic weapon for illicit purposes.
Two other Jordanians suspected of selling them the Kalashnikov and live
ammunition for JD400 will also be tried in a specialised court.
According to the charge sheet, Shehadeh and Hotari decided to avenge US policies
towards Muslims by attacking Americans in Jordan.
The two men, who codenamed their operation “Yoya,” were arrested and the weapon
seized, before they could carry out their plans.
The tribunal adjourned the session until January 24.
Also Wednesday, two prison inmates, testifying in the case of two men accused of
attempting to smuggle weapons into the West Bank last year, told the tribunal
they saw torture marks on one of the defendants.
Rawhi Ibrahim Atieyh, 38, and Nour Edin Abdul Karim, 47, are standing trial at
the SSC for possessing and transporting explosives and weapons with illicit
intent.
Two Jweideh Correctional and Rehabilitation Centre inmates told the tribunal
they saw torture marks on Atieyh’s body when he was brought to prison by
security forces.
The charge sheet said the two defendants, who hid explosives, rockets and
machineguns in Ruseifa, confessed and the authorities confiscated the shipment
before it was transported to the West Bank.
Their trial was adjourned until January 23.