Jordan Times
Tuesday, January 27, 2004
'Tel Aviv set to free 20 Jordanian prisoners'
AMMAN (Reuters) — Israel is expected to release up to 20 Jordanian prisoners by early next month, a Foreign Ministry source told Reuters on Monday. The release would be a success for the Jordanian government, which is pressing for the release of all 81 citizens held in Israel's jails, some since before the 1994 peace accord between the two countries. "The release of the Jordanian detainees could take place during or after Eid Al Adha, which is next week," said the source, who requested anonymity. "We expect the number of prisoners to be between 15 to 20." The prisoner release would be separate from a major prisoner swap deal announced on Saturday between Israel and Hizbollah. Some of the Jordanians detained in Israel are held without trial, and some have been convicted for involvement in attacks on Israel during the three-year-old Palestinian uprising. Several belong to resistance groups. Jordan is due to discuss the issue with Israeli Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom when he visits Amman on Wednesday.