Court acquits 10 in ‘tribal land’ clashes trial

AMMAN — The State Security Court (SSC) on Wednesday ordered the release of 10 out of 36 Jordanians who were detained on charges of “destruction of private and public property” and “inciting unrest”. 

The acquitted men were being tried for their alleged involvement in a violent protest over decades old tribal land claims in Zarqa, 22km east of Amman.

The men were among 36 members of the Khalaileh and Zawahreh tribes, part of the one-million-strong Bani Hassan clan, who had staged a series of protests over the past three years over the ownership of land.

The court, chaired by Judge Salem Al Qallab, moved to prosecute the remaining 24 defendants for the riots, which reportedly resulted in the injury of two police officers and the destruction of over $10,000 worth of public property, according to the charge sheet.

The tribes’ dispute dates back to the 1970s, when the Bani Hassan clan donated hundreds of square kilometres of desert plains east of Zarqa to the state for the use of the military.

Over the past decade, the state sold off the plots of land to private individuals and companies, a move the tribes claim is a breach of their agreement with the government that automatically reverts the land ownership back to the Bani Hassan clan.

The court adjourned the trial to May 6.