Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
02AMMAN6521
2002-11-06 13:48:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Amman
Cable title:  

GOJ DISSOLVES SOCIETY FOR CITIZENS' RIGHTS

Tags:  PHUM PGOV JO 
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This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 AMMAN 006521 

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/04/2012
TAGS: PHUM PGOV JO
SUBJECT: GOJ DISSOLVES SOCIETY FOR CITIZENS' RIGHTS

REF: A. AMMAN 006154


B. AMMAN 5838

C. AMMAN 5576

Classified By: AMBASSADOR EDWARD W. GNEHM. REASONS 1.5 (B) and (D)

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 AMMAN 006521

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/04/2012
TAGS: PHUM PGOV JO
SUBJECT: GOJ DISSOLVES SOCIETY FOR CITIZENS' RIGHTS

REF: A. AMMAN 006154


B. AMMAN 5838

C. AMMAN 5576

Classified By: AMBASSADOR EDWARD W. GNEHM. REASONS 1.5 (B) and (D)


1. (C) SUMMARY. On October 29, the Ministry of Interior
officially dissolved the Jordanian Society for Citizens'
Rights (JSCR). Despite previous media attention to the
plight of the JSCR, coverage of the dissolution has been
scant, coming as it did the day after the murder of Larry
Foley. MFA officials attempted to assure PolOffs that the
move was not politically motivated and pledged to follow up.
END SUMMARY

--------------
JSCR DISSOLVED
--------------


2. (C) On October 31, PolOff and visiting NEA/ARN officer
Susan Ziadeh met with JSCR President Fawzi Samhoury.
Samhoury said that on October 29 the Governor of Amman, Abdel
Karim Malahme, called Samhoury into his office to present him
with a letter signed by the Minister of Interior, Qaftam
Majali. The short missive (a copy of which Samhoury provided
us) said the JSCR was officially dissolved pursuant to
Article 16 of the Societies and Charitable Organizations Law
of 1966. The letter contained no additional information
regarding the closure.

3 (C) Samhoury said that on October 18, the JSCR had voted,
by a large majority, to submit the financial records
requested by the GOJ in previous correspondence (reftels).
The records were sent to the Ministry of Interior on October

22. Since that time, the GOJ has not commented on the
submission of the documents, and it was not clear to Samhoury
whether the GOJ reviewed the documents before the decision to
dissolve the JSCR was made.


4. (C) Note: according to Samhoury, Dr. Khalid Tahaineh,
the MFA's action officer on human rights, called him on
October 18 to say that the GOJ was upset over reports issued
by the JSCR relating to Palestinian-Jordanians losing their
passports through implementation of 1988 disengagement laws
(reftels). End note.

5 (C) Samhoury was despondent over the future of the JSCR.
He said that he was reviewing the possibility of legal
action. He said he is also in contact with outspoken former
MP Toujan Faisal, and planned to talk to the international
media. Note: local press coverage of the JSCR's demise has
been scant, despite regular coverage prior to the GOJ action
of October 29.

--------------
MFA: WE'RE LOOKING INTO IT
--------------


6. (C) On November 4, A/PolCouns and Poloff met with MFA
Legal Adviser Samer Naber and MFA Human Rights Officer
Tahaineh to obtain the GOJ's side of the story. Both
confirmed that the action to close down the JSCR was based on
legal infractions, not politics. "There is a legal basis for
the action, and there were internal disputes within the JSCR
that led to the closure," Tahaineh stated repeatedly. Naber
noted that the MFA had requested from the Min Int an
explanation of the case and any relevant supporting
documents. He said the MFA would follow-up with the Min Int.



7. (C) Tahaineh however, strongly implied that political
considerations were a factor, stating that "all of these
(human rights) organizations have affiliations with groups
outside Jordan, and this is what we mean when we are talking
about 'Jordan first'." At that point, Naber jumped in,
reiterated that the MFA had no official explanation of the
case and was waiting to hear from the Min Int, and that
"Jordan first" has nothing to do with the JSCR. As the
meeting concluded, PolOffs noted that the closing of an
independent human rights organization had the potential to
damage Jordan's reputation. Naber acknowledged this reality
and promised again to follow-up with the Min Int.

--------------
COMMENT
--------------


8. (C) The GOJ's dissolution of the JSCR is an unwelcome
and untimely development. Samhoury has a consistent and
reliable human rights contact for several years. At first
glance, there is reason to believe the GOJ's legal action is
merely a pretext to close the JSCR. That said, the GOJ
action may well rest on defensible legal ground, and
Samhoury's options for legal redress have not been exhausted.
We have cautioned the GOJ, on several occasions and at
levels up to the PM, that the closing of the JSCR would be
scrutinized by the international media and human rights
activists. We will continue to track this closely.
GNEHM