Case against Al Ghad chief editor dismissed

AMMAN — The Amman prosecutor general has dismissed the case against Al Ghad Editor-in-Chief Jumana Ghneimat, who was summoned last week for publishing an article in September criticising the behaviour of some Lower House members, the newspaper’s lawyer, Mohammad Qteishat, said Wednesday.

“The decision stresses the judiciary’s support for the media and enhancing media freedom. The prosecutor general decided that the article falls within objective, professional and impartial journalism,” Qteishat told The Jordan Times over the phone.

The prosecutor general decided that the opinion piece, written by Ghneimat is classified as “permissible criticism that seeks to enhance performance and rectify a situation, and is not meant to defame the legislative authority or any of its members”, according to the lawyer.

Last week, Amman Prosecutor General Judge Rami Tarawneh summoned Ghneimat on charges of violating articles of the Press and Publications Law in the opinion piece.

In her article titled “We are bored with the show… Stop it,” the chief editor of Al Ghad slammed deputies who take advantage of their positions to fulfil personal interests. 

“Some MPs claim to be fighting corruption, while they are deeply involved in corruption,” she wrote. 

Some MPs, Ghneimat said, “give statements to the media that they are defenders of public money and of people’s rights, while they are after securing some deal or getting some personal benefits”.

Tarawneh had summoned Ghneimat on charges that the column is in violation of Articles 5 and 7 of the Press and Publications Law. 

Article 5 reads: “Publications shall respect the truth and refrain from publishing anything that conflicts with the principles of freedom, national responsibility, human rights, and values of the Arab and Islamic nation,” while Paragraph C in Article 7 says journalists’ work should include “maintaining balance, objectivity and honesty in presenting press material”. 

The charges also included defaming an official entity.