Jordan prisoner pardon to help families sparks debate

A proposed royal pardon in Jordan sparked a debate between parliament and the government over who should be given a second chance in the kingdom.

Jordanian politicians yesterday continued heated deliberations over a general pardon drafted by the government on directives of King Abdullah, which could lead to thousands of Jordanians being released from prison.

The king called for the pardon to alleviate financial hardships for the families of those in jail.

The government says the pardon would waive thousands of traffic fines, and benefit between 5,000 and 8,000 Jordanians in prison or awaiting trial.

But critics say the draft law is not broad enough and fails to include Jordanians in prison for debt and defaulted loans.

“This is the worst general pardon that has been issued in this country,” said Saleh Armouti, former head of the Jordan Bar Association and the MP leading the push to amend the pardon.

“Any pardon that leaves women, children and old men behind bars for financial crimes, debt or expression is not a true pardon and does not serve the interest of the people.”

The draft pardon, which the government presented to MPs last week for approval, includes 25 major exceptions covering 187 crimes deemed unpardonable, including terrorism, treason, murder, narcotics and financial crimes such as tax evasion and abuse of public funds.

But unlike previous pardons, it also does not apply to civil lawsuits such as libel, slander, contract breaches, defaulted loans, bounced cheques and unpaid bills on goods and services.

Several hundred Jordanians are imprisoned and thousands are prosecuted each year for failing to repay loans or dishonoured cheques, activists say.

Under the current pardon, plaintiffs must put forward a motion to drop charges for debtors to be released.

After months of speculation, King Abdullah instructed the government on December 13 to draft a general pardon to “alleviate the challenges and pressures facing citizens”.

He said it would give “citizens who have made mistakes and are going through difficult circumstances an opportunity to correct their course and behaviour”.

The move was met with praise and high expectations from ordinary Jordanians, and remains a hot topic on social media there. But hopes have been dampened since the government unveiled its draft pardon.

Jordanians filled parliament yesterday holding court papers to demand MPs amend the pardon to include their relatives. Even protesters taking part in weekly rallies over the economy and corruption were divided.

“I think the pardon issued by his majesty is a sign that people are listening to our demands and taking us seriously,” Mohammed, 25, an unemployed university graduate, said during a protest in Amman last Thursday.

But Majed Ghanem, a special-education teacher from Jerash in northern Jordan, said: “There are a lot of Jordanian men and women in prison for bounced cheques and unpaid bills who should be released.”

Parliamentary speaker Atef Tarawneh yesterday pledged that parliament would not approve an amnesty before resolving the status of Jordanian debtors.

Dozens of MPs signed a memorandum to amend the pardon so that women, those under 18, and men aged 70 and above would be released regardless of their crime.

Politicians say they are likely to alter the pardon before sending it to the traditionally conservative king-appointed senate, which may reject it, leaving the amnesty in a legislative deadlock.

The pardon would mark the third issued by King Abdullah since his ascension to the throne in 1999.

Jordan has a near-record 18.6 per cent unemployment rate.

I think the pardon issued by his majesty is a sign that people are listening to our demands and taking us seriously MOHAMMED Unemployed university graduate