Man handed 6-month jail term for drug possession

AMMAN — The Court of Cassation has upheld a September State Security Court (SSC) ruling, sentencing a man to six months in prison after convicting him of possessing illegal narcotics in Ajloun in May 2021.

The court declared the defendant guilty of possessing illegal narcotics on May 23 while in his vehicle for personal use.

The SSC handed the defendant a one-year prison term for the offence of possessing illegal narcotics.

The court also ordered the defendant to pay JD1,000 in fines.

However, the court decided to reduce the prison term to six months to give the defendant “a second chance in life”.

The court also reduced the fines against the defendant to JD600.

Court documents said the Anti-Narcotics Department (AND) learned the defendant was in possession of illegal narcotics and attempted to stop him.

“The defendant resisted arrest and sped off with his vehicle but was later arrested by AND agents,” court documents said.

The defendant contested the SSC’s ruling through his lawyer, who argued that the court “did not provide solid evidence to implicate his client”.

Meanwhile, the SSC prosecution office asked the higher court to uphold the sentence and the fine imposed on the defendant.

The higher court maintained that the SSC had followed the proper procedures in issuing the sentences against the defendant.

The Court of Cassation presiding judges were Mohammad Ibrahim, Fawzi Nahar, Nayef Samarat, Majid Azab, Ibrahim Abu Shamma and Hayel Amr.