Former Al Ghad columnist acquitted of charges of undermining the regime

AMMAN — The State Security Court (SSC) on Sunday sentenced former Al Ghad columnist Jihad Muheisen to three months in prison on charges of “compromising the King’s dignity”.

Muheisen was detained in July over a post he published on Facebook that was deemed slanderous to His Majesty King Abdullah.

The military tribunal decided to acquit Muheisen, who spent almost two months in prison, of charges of undermining the regime “for lack of evidence” and amended the lèse majesté charge to the misdemeanour of compromising the dignity of the King, handing him a one year sentence.

The tribunal reduced the sentence to three months and replaced the remaining period with a fine, a senior judicial source told The Jordan Times.

The militarily tribunal comprised judges Colonel Raed Izmegna, Adel Hmeidat and Farahan Mubeidin.

Al Ghad daily terminated Muheisen’s contract in June after he published a Facebook post in which he said he would become a Shiite, and criticised the democratic process in Jordan.

The Political and Parliamentary Affairs Ministry, where he worked as an adviser, also terminated his contract.