Cousins get 4-year jail terms for promoting terrorist ideology

AMMAN — The Court of Cassation has upheld a February State Security Court (SSC) ruling that sentenced two cousins to four years in prison each for spreading terrorist ideologies in the Kingdom.

The SSC declared the two defendants guilty of spreading Daesh terror group videos and material using their cell phones and computers, and handed them the maximum punishment.

The same court declared the two defendants innocent of plotting subversive acts in Jordan due to lack of evidence.

Court papers said the defendants adopted a takfiri perspective and when Daesh surfaced, they adopted its ideology.

"The two cousins used all technological means available to spread material that Daesh was broadcasting in order to gain more sympathisers for the terrorist group," court documents said.

Later on, the defendants sought out a university at which to spread their ideology, court papers said. 

The two were arrested in July 2017 after the campus security became suspicious of their presence and alerted the authorities.

While in custody at a police station, court documents added, “the defendants spoke to a man who was arrested on a different charge and attempted to convince him to adopt the Daesh terror group’s ideology”.

“The defendants also asked the man who was with them about how to erase material that was related to Daesh on their mobile phones that were seized by the police,” court transcripts said.

The man immediately alerted police about the conversation with the men and they were sent to the SSC prosecution office for further questioning, court papers added.

The defendants contested the verdict through their lawyers, asking to be declared innocent because “they did not commit any acts that were in violation of the law”.

“The court relied on weak evidence and failed to provide any solid evidence that would implicate our clients,” the defence argued.

Meanwhile, the SSC’s attorney general asked the higher court to uphold the prison terms given to the defendants.

The higher court dismissed the defence claims and ruled that the SSC proceedings were accurate and the defendants were given the appropriate punishment.

“The two defendants owned electronic devices that contained material related to the Daesh terror group, including their activities, videos and lists of people they planned to target in Jordan,” the higher court stated.

The Cassation Court bench comprised judges Mohammad Ibrahim, Nayef Samarat, Bassem Mubeidin, Yassin Abdullat and Naji Zu’bi.