‘Himam’ the coalition of civil society organizations, called on the government of Jordan to release all prisoners of conscious who have been detained for a variety of period because of their expression of their opinions on issues of public concern.

A statement issued by ‘Himam’ in Amman, Friday August 9th 2019, stated “these arrests violate the most basic rights as stated in the Jordanian constitution, which guaranteed the rights of all Jordanians to freedom of opinion and expression whether verbally or in writing or imagery and all other forms of expressions, as stated in Article 15.”

‘Himam’ sees in the ”continuation of the campaign of detentions, a violation of international human rights which Jordan has committed to when its Jordan ratified the two pillars of International Covenants, namely, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights as far back as 1977.” The covenant published in the official gazette more than a decade ago and has since then become executable law that overrides Jordanian laws.

‘Himam’ noted that the “continuation of these detentions and the referral of the detainees to the State Security Court because of their practice of their peaceful expression of thought on issue of public interest and their exercise of the right to peaceful assembly is a clear violation of the constitution and relevant international covenants.”

The statements stressed that the “these detentions undermine the recent political reform efforts, which have subsided in recent months based on the mistake theory that has been adopted by the government that political reform is not a high priority for Jordanians in comparison to political reform and the need to create jobs as a means to face up to the unemployment problem.”

‘Himam’ said in its statement that the “real reasons for the economic and social problems faced in Jordan reverts back to the fact that successive governments have dragged their feet in relations to political reform for which the right of expression and opinion as well as peaceful assembly and other political and civil rights, constitute the basis for economic reform that takes the interests of all sectors of society into consideration. Therefore, it is clear that genuine and just economic reforms can’t happen without quality political reform.”

“Continuing in the path based on the priority of economic reform at the expense of political reform will only lead to more political and economic crisis,” the statement noted.

In the conclusion of its statement ‘Himam’ called for the “immediate release and without delay” of all detainees and prisoners, stating that this will be considered the “test of the seriousness of the government in respecting the right of expression and opinion as well as peaceful assembly.”

‘Himam’ includes the following civil society organisations:

Arab Women’s Society, Sisterhood is Global Institute- Jordan, Rasheed (Transparency International-Jordan), Community Media Network, Lawyers without Borders, Afaq Center Jordan for development and training, Al Hayyat center for civil society development-Rased, Adel Legal Aid Center, Phenix Center for economic and informational Studies, Al Quds Center for Political Studies, Tamkeen Center for legal aid and human rights, Center for the Defense and Protection of Journalists, Adallah center for human rights studies, Ardd - Arab Renaissance for Democracy and Development, Ruwwad Center for Development, Leaders of Tomorrow