AAAS Scientific Responsibility, Human Rights and Law Program

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AAAS Human Rights Action Network

FACTS OF THE CASE:

AAAS has recently been notified that Mr. Leith Shubeilat, former Member of Parliament and President of the Association of Jordanian Engineers, was sentenced on 17 March 1996 to three years imprisonment on charge of "shameful act that is directed against the king." This charge was later approved by the Court of Appeal.

Mr. Shubeilat was arrested on 9 December 1995 for his outspoken criticism of Jordanian government policies. He was held without bail and denied access to his family. In addition, his trial was closed to the public. His arrest and trial were apparantly rife with procedural errors including illegal alteration of documents (such as the changing of page numbers and dates of his interrogation), questioning of Mr. Shubailat beyond the scope of the charges against him, denial of legal counsel prior to (but not during) his trial, the court's arbitrary veto of all of the defense's questions to state witnesses, and the state's refusal to call upon all of the witnesses for the defense.

(Source of information is the International Secretariat of OMCT/SOS-Torture)

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