Jordan Times
Friday, July 6, 2007
4 Jordanian prisoners return
from Israel
By Mohammad Ben Hussein and Hani Hazaimeh
AMMAN — Four Jordanian prisoners serving life sentences in Israel were
transferred Thursday to the Kingdom, where they will spend a maximum of 18
months in prison.
Hundreds of family members were at the Sheikh Hussein border crossing to welcome
Sultan Ajlouni, Khaled Abu Ghalioun, Salem Abu Ghalioun and Ameen Sanea, who
spent 17 years in Israeli jails.
“It was a surreal experience. Words cannot explain how good we felt when we saw
them,” said Saleh Ajlouni, Sultan’s brother and head of the National Committee
for Prisoners in Israel.
At a press conference, following the arrival of the prisoners, Prime Minister
Marouf Bakhit said the transfer was achieved following extensive and complicated
diplomatic efforts exerted by the government.
“There were only two options, either to accept the transfer of the prisoners and
detain them for no longer than 18 months… or to leave them in Israeli jails for
life,” Bakhit told reporters.
“The government succeeded in placing the case on the negotiation table, despite
its social and political dimensions,” Bakhit said.
The prime minister stressed that the transfer of the prisoners followed
intensive efforts by the Foreign Ministry and the Jordanian embassy in Tel Aviv.
“The transfer of the prisoners is considered a positive achievement and an
important development, which will help ease the suffering of the four men and
allow them to meet regularly with their families and loved ones,” the premier
said.
He noted that the government has succeeded in bringing a total of 60 prisoners
home over the past 10 years, and said efforts would continue to free the rest.
Bakhit added that the prisoners would undergo a full medical check-up and those
who are sick will be admitted to hospital and receive the necessary treatment.
“Some of the prisoners have heart conditions and others suffer from chronic
diseases that need immediate medical attention,” Saleh Ajlouni told The Jordan
Times.
On Wednesday, Israel’s supreme court rejected a petition against the transfer of
the four, who were sentenced to life in jail for killing two soldiers in
November 1990, four years before the two countries signed a peace treaty.