Two brothers handed prison terms for attempted murder

AMMAN — The Cassation Court has upheld a June Criminal Court ruling, sentencing two brothers to prison terms ranging from five to eight years in prison after convicting them of attempting to murder their relative in Ramtha in September 2017.

The Criminal Court declared the defendants guilty of attempted murder, stemming from an old dispute between the victim and their father on September 7.  

Court papers said the victim and the defendants’ father were engaged in several “heated arguments” over financial assets. 

"The defendants decided to kill the victim as a result of the constant feuds between the victim and their father," court documents said.

On the day of the incident, the court maintained, that the defendants spotted the victim in their neighbourhood and ran towards him.

“One of the defendants pinned the victim to the ground to allow his brother to stab him and he did,” court papers said.

The victim was rushed to a nearby hospital and survived the stabbing incident after undergoing several surgeries, the court papers added.

The defendants contested the Criminal Court’s ruling against them, arguing that the court “disregarded several testimonies and depended on weak evidence”.

“The prosecution failed to provide any solid evidence to implicate our clients and the court depended on contradictory statements by the witnesses,” the lawyers said.

The Criminal Court’s attorney general asked the higher court to uphold the rulings against the two defendants.

The higher court ruled that the Criminal Court proceedings were accurate and the defendants were given the appropriate punishment.

The Cassation Court bench comprised judges Mohammad Ibrahim, Bassim Mubeidin, Majid Azab, Nayef Samarat and Yassin Abdullat.