Jordan frees activist who burned king's picture
AFP
AMMAN- A military tribunal released on Thursday a Jordanian political activist it jailed last month for burning a picture of King Abdullah II, responding to a pardon from the monarch, his lawyer said.
"The state security court freed Uday Abu Issa in accordance with a royal pardon," Musa Abdullat told AFP.
Abu Issa, 18, had confessed to setting on fire a picture of the monarch after tearing it off a municipal wall in Madaba, south of Amman, saying he was upset over the death of a municipal worker who set himself on fire after his contract was terminated
In January, the court sentenced Abu Issa to two years in prison after finding him guilty of "undermining the king's dignity," but the monarch pardoned him last week.
Meanwhile, Abdullat urged the release of all political prisoners in Jordan.
"There are around 70 political prisoners in Jordan. All of them should be freed," he said, echoing local opposition demands to scrap the military tribunal, "which is a target of criticism by international watchdogs."
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In January, the court sentenced Abu Issa to two years in prison after finding him guilty of "undermining the king's dignity," but the monarch pardoned him last week.
Meanwhile, Abdullat urged the release of all political prisoners in Jordan.
"There are around 70 political prisoners in Jordan. All of them should be freed," he said, echoing local opposition demands to scrap the military tribunal, "which is a target of criticism by international watchdogs."
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