Jordan sentences Hamas members

A Jordanian state court has sentenced 12 Hamas members to terms ranging between one year and 15 years, Anadolu agency reported. Four others were acquitted in the proceedings on Tuesday.

The lawyer representing the accused, Abdul-Kader Al-Khatib, said that the court sentenced eight of his clients to terms ranging between one and five years, while four were sentenced in absentia to 15 years and four others were cleared of all charges.

According to Al-Khatib, his clients were accused of preparing explosives to be used illegally, as well as of carrying out acts that would “destabilise the public order and put the safety of the society at stake”. In addition, they were accused of recruiting people to join armed groups.

The lawyer said that the verdicts are not final and could be appealed against within 30 days, reiterating that the defence team would appeal against the rulings.

Last November, Jordanian authorities carried out an arrest campaign against a group of Jordanian engineers who it claimed were Hamas members. They were accused of preparing explosives for illegal use.