Former Woman Parliamentarian Faces Charges and Possible Imprisonment for Criticizing the Jordanian Government

March 28, 2002

UPDATE: June 26, 2002

Toujan al-Faisal Granted Amnesty and Released from Prison

On June 26, 2002 activist and former Jordanian parliamentarian Ms. Toujan al-Faisal was granted amnesty by King Abdullah II and released from prison. While in prison, al-Faisal lost 12 kilos during a 29-day hunger strike in protest of her May 14th conviction and 18-month prison sentence. Women's rights and civil rights groups from across the world had protested for her release. Al-Faisal says she plans to run for parliament again in the future.

We are grateful to our network for your solidarity and quick action in support of Toujan al-Faisal.

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UPDATE: May 16, 2002

Toujan al-Faisal Sentenced to 18-months In Jail

Toujan al-Faisal, an outspoken advocate of free speech, domestic reforms, and women's rights, was convicted today of publishing "lies that hurt the state's integrity and honour," and sentenced to 18 months in jail. Al-Faisal was first arrested on March 16th after she accused Jordan's prime minister of corruption and the judiciary of being unjust. (For details, see WLP's March 28th alert below.) Court officials say the verdict cannot be appealed.

The case went to trial on May 14th where al-Faisal defended herself before a three-man state security tribunal. Her team of lawyers had withdrawn from the case when they felt the judges' rulings were impeding their work. The chief judge in the case, Colonel Tayel al-Raqad, accused al-Faisal of having "exceeded the boundaries of acceptable criticism" before passing sentence.

Toujan al-Faisal served in the Jordanian parliament from 1993-97 during which time she was an outspoken critic of the government and Muslim militants. She recently announced her intention to run for a parliamentary seat in the upcoming national elections to be held later this year.

Please express your concern about the court proceedings and sentencing of Toujan al-Faisal to the following officials:

His Majesty King Abdallah bin Hussein
Office of H.M. the King
Royal Palace
Amman, Jordan
FAX: 962-6-463-4755

Prime Minister Ali Abu Al-Ragheb
P.O. Box 80 352
Amman, Jordan
FAX: 962-6-464-2520

Mr. Faris Nabulsi
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Justice
P.O. Box 6040
Amman, Jordan
FAX: 962-6-568-0238

Mary Robinson
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights
Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights
CH 1211, Geneva 10, Switzerland
Tel: 41-22-917-9000
Email: webadmin.hchr@unog.ch

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March 28, 2002

Former member of the Jordanian Parliament Toujan al-Faisal was arrested Saturday, March 16, 2002 following her recent public criticism of the Jordanian government. On March 27th, she was released from Jweidah prison in Amman for health reasons following a hunger strike that she began on March 17th in protest of her arrest. She is charged with "publishing false materials deemed harmful to the country's reputation and that of its citizens", as well as seditious libel and slander, misdemeanors punishable by three to six months of imprisonment and/or a fine of up to 5,000 Jordanian dinars ($7,060 US) under Article 150 of the Jordanian Penal Code. At this time, the charges against her have not been dropped.

Toujan al-Faisal was the first woman elected to the Jordanian Parliament, where she served from 1993-1997. She recently announced that she will be running again for a Parliamentary seat in the upcoming national elections later this year. She is well-known for her vocal pursuit of domestic and women's rights reforms in Jordan. She is said to have accused the Jordanian judiciary of being unjust during an interview with an Arab satellite TV station. She is also said to have posted a statement on the Internet accusing key members of the government of profiting financially from a recent decision to raise vehicle insurance premiums.

Ms. al-Faisal's arrest was one of several during the last few weeks, including the arrests of Taj Eddine al-Harroub and Hashem al-Khalidi, owner and chief editor of al-Bilad newspaper, respectively. Numerous political and women's organizations called for the release of Ms. al-Faisal, including the Higher Coordination Committee of the National Parties, the Islamic Labor Work Party, the Democratic Women's League of the al-Hashad Party, the Women's Affairs Office of the Jordanian Communist Party, and the Jordanian chapter of the Arab Organisation for Human Rights, which called her detention unconsitutional and illegal. WLP's partner organization in Jordan, Sisterhood Is Global Institute/Jordan (SIGI/J), has launched a web-based Arabic petition calling for the charges against her to be dropped. Supporters may sign on at www.amanjordan.org/petition4/.

These arrests follow recent provisional laws passed by the Jordanian Cabinet and signed by King Abdallah bin Hussein in the absence of Parliament. They place "limitations on the freedom of expression by making illegal a number of new vaguely defined offences in relation to harming national unity; harming the prestige, integrity and reputation of the state; inciting disturbances, sit-downs and unauthorized public meetings; causing harm to the dignity, reputation or personal freedom of individuals; destablizing society through the promotion of deviance and immorality; and dissemination of false information and rumours" (Amnesty International 19 March 2002 news release).

Jordan is a signatory of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), which states in Article 19: "Everyone shall have the right to freedom of expression; this right shall include freedom to seek, receive and impart information and ideas of all kinds, regardless of frontiers, either orally, in writing or in print, in the form of art, or through any other media of his choice."

Please support Toujan al-Faisal's right to freedom of expression and call for the charges against her to be dropped by writing to the following members of the Jordanian government.

His Majesty King Abdallah bin Hussein
Office of H.M. the King
Royal Palace
Amman, Jordan
FAX: 962-6-463-4755

Prime Minister Ali Abu Al-Ragheb
P.O. Box 80 352
Amman, Jordan
FAX: 962-6-464-2520

Mr. Faris Nabulsi
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Justice
P.O. Box 6040
Amman, Jordan
FAX: 962-6-568-0238