Human Rights Watch (HRW) has called on Jordan to reinstate its moratorium on the death penalty and end the trial of civilians before military courts after authorities carried out the execution of six prisoners convicted in security-related and criminal cases.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, the New York-based rights group described the executions as a setback for human rights protections in the kingdom and urged the government to halt further use of capital punishment.
“Jordan should renew its moratorium on the death penalty and end the trial of civilians before military courts,” the organisation said.
The statement quoted Adam Coogle, deputy Middle East director at HRW, as criticising the executions, which marked the first known implementation of death sentences in Jordan since 2017.
“Jordan has taken a dangerous turn by carrying out six executions in a single morning after years of only sporadic use of the death penalty,” Coogle said.
He added that Jordan should serve as a regional example in strengthening rights protections and called on authorities to restore the suspension of executions.
The executions were carried out on Sunday following convictions in cases involving what Jordanian authorities described as terrorism-related and criminal offences.
According to official statements, some of the cases involved the killing of members of the Public Security Directorate and the Jordanian Armed Forces.
The convictions were issued by Jordan’s State Security Court, a special tribunal that handles cases involving terrorism, treason, espionage and certain drug-related offences under Jordanian law.
Human rights organisations have long criticised the use of military and special security courts to try civilians, arguing that such proceedings may fall short of international fair trial standards.
Jordan resumed executions in 2014 after an informal moratorium that had lasted for several years. Since then, authorities have carried out a limited number of executions, primarily in cases involving murder or security-related offences.
