Human Rights: Jordan

Some observations on the Jordan section of the State Department's annual Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2006, released on March 6:

--Jordan's human rights record is far from perfect, but the report on Jordan also notably gives the Amman government credit for addressing many of the problems. The Jordan report's summary:

"The following human rights problems were reported: Restrictions on the right of citizens to change their government; torture, arbitrary arrest, and prolonged detention; impunity; denial of due process of law; limited judicial independence; infringement on citizen's privacy rights; harassment of members of opposition political parties; restrictions on freedom of speech, press, assembly, association, movement, and on some religious practices; legal and societal discrimination against women, discrimination against persons of Palestinian origin; restrictions on labor rights; and abuse of foreign workers."

--Many of the abuses cited in the report concerned arrests, interrogations and imprisonment of suspected Islamic extremists. Some 590 people were held without charge at year's end. The UN Special Rapporteur on Torture and Other Cruel and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment described police and security forces practices using torture as widespread. Amnesty International alleged the systematic torture of political suspects. The most frequently alleged methods of torture included severe and prolonged beating with sticks, plastic pipes, ropes or whips, on the soles of the feet and elsewhere, sleep deprivation, extended solitary confinement, forced standing in painful positions for prolonged periods, threats of extreme violence or sexual or physical abuse of family members, and physical suspension. There was concern that the new Prevention of Terrorism Act banning extremist speech could be used to silence critics, but the report said that had not yet happened.

--The government seemed more forthcoming than most in the region in addressing the problems. The UN Special Rapporteur visited Jordan and issued his criticisms upon the government's invitation. The International Committee of the Red Cross was permitted access to prisoners and detainees in all prisons. The National Center for Human Rights, a government-funded human rights group created four years ago, uncovered many abuses and issued recommendations. King Abdullah II closed Al Jafer prison six weeks after the NCHR recommended it be shut.

--The report cited discrimination against citizens of Palestinian origin. It said that while Palestinians probably made up more than half of the population, they comprised four of 26 cabinet ministers, nine of 55 senators, 18 of 110 lower house deputies and none of the 12 governors. It said that the electoral system gives greater representation to areas that have a majority of inhabitants of non-Palestinian origin.

--So-called honor crimes continued to be a problem. The statute books continue to include Article 98 which reduces the charges in honor crimes from premeditated murder to manslaughter resulting in much lighter sentences that in turn fail to be an adequate deterrent. In one case, two brothers were convicted of murdering their sister after she became pregnant out of wedlock with an Egyptian man. She confronted her family with the pregnancy and received her father's blessing to marry in Egypt. But upon her return to Jordan to give birth, her brothers killed her and her unborn child.

--A notable problem concerned abuse of foreign workers imported to manufacture goods in the so-called Qualified Industrial Zones, a partnership between Israel and Jordan than enables exports to enter the U.S. duty free. The report cited other reports that persons were trafficked to Jordan primarily from Bangladesh, China, India, Sri Lanka, and Pakistan to work in the QIZs. A report by the National Labor Committee claimed that foreign workers were subject to conditions that amounted to human trafficking. (See the NLC's in-depth report for a more comprehensive and disturbing look.) The government conducted immediate inspections and closed some factories that were found to be in violation of internationally recognized labor standards. However, a number of factories continued to violate international standards.

--By Scott MacLeod/Cairo