Jordan Times
Thursday, August 3, 2006
Gov’t introduces
bill to curb capital punishment
By Rana Husseini
AMMAN — Human rights activists on Wednesday praised the government’s approval of
a draft law that would eradicate the death penalty for certain crimes but
stressed capital punishment should be abolished completely.
“This is a good step but not enough. There are many crimes punishable by death
that need to be scrapped from the Jordanian law books,” Director of the Amman
Centre for Human Rights Studies Nizam Assaf said, adding that there are around
16 crimes subject to the death penalty.
“The government should work on examining the causes behind these crimes… and
work on improving people’s lives by eliminating social problems,” Assaf added.
On Tuesday, the Cabinet approved recommendations by a legal committee, headed by
the minister of justice, to substitute life in prison for the death penalty in
certain instances.
The list of crimes includes possessing, manufacturing, selling and transporting
illegal explosives and weapons with illicit intent, preventing authorities by
use of force from performing their duties, and certain cases related to illegal
drugs, according to Government Spokesperson Nasser Judeh.
“This step was an indication the government is serious about abolishing the
death penalty in compliance with human rights conventions,” Judeh told The
Jordan Times on Wednesday.
His Majesty King Abdullah told Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera on Nov. 16,
2005, that “in coordination with the European Union, we would like to modify our
penal code. Jordan could soon become the first country in the Middle East
without capital punishment.” Minister of Justice Abed Shakhanbeh had also told a
human rights delegation recently that the Kingdom was considering abolishing
several articles concerning the death penalty in the Jordanian Penal Code.
Human rights watchdogs such as Amnesty International (AI) and Human Rights Watch
(HRW) have urged the country to abolish the death penalty. AI frequently
expressed its unconditional opposition to the death penalty, which it said “has
never been shown to have a unique different effect and which is brutalising to
all involved in its application.”
The organisation further urged that no more executions be carried out in Jordan.
Meanwhile, HRW sent a letter to Prime Minister Marouf Bakhit in recent months
asking him to abolish the death penalty.
“Jordan should abolish the death penalty. HRW opposes the infliction of capital
punishment in all circumstances because of its inherent cruelty,” the letter
read.
In addition, the intrinsic fallibility of the criminal justice system assures
that even when full due process of law is respected, innocent persons are
sometimes executed, HRW letter added.
According to AI, 11 people were put to death in Jordan last year.
In December 2005, the Jordan Bar Association (JBA) criticised the two
international human rights organisations’ call to abolish the death penalty,
describing the request as “interfering” in the country’s internal affairs.
“Capital punishment is applied in many countries including the US and the death
penalty is known to be a major factor in preventing crime and protecting
society,” JBA President Saleh Armouti previously said.
He was not available for comment on the new draft law.
The draft law will now be referred to Parliament once it is examined by the
Prime Ministry’s Legal Bureau.