AMCIT RAED HIJAZI DEATH SENTENCE COMMUTED TO

UNCLAS AMMAN 008636 SIPDIS FOR CA/OCS/ACS/NESA, NEA/ELA AND NEA/PA E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: CASC PREL PTER CJAN JO HIJAZI RAED SUBJECT: AMCIT RAED HIJAZI DEATH SENTENCE COMMUTED TO TWENTY YEARS WITH LABOR REF: A) AMMAN 8601 B) 03 AMMAN 8171 C) 03 AMMAN 4467 AND PREVIOUS ¶1. (U) AS REPORTED REF A, THE JORDAN TIMES EDITION OF OCTOBER 5, 2004 REPORTED THAT QUOTE THE CASSATION COURT ON MONDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2004, COMMUTED THE DEATH SENTENCE AGAINST (AMCIT/JORDANIAN) RAED HIJAZI, CONVICTED OF PLOTTING TERROR ACTS, TO TWENTY YEARS IN JAIL WITH LABOR AND THAT THE COURT'S DECISION IS FINAL AND CANNOT BE APPEALED. THE COURT UPHELD THE GUILTY VERDICT ISSUED BY THE STATE SECURITY COURT AGAINST HIJAZI. IT ATTRIBUTED THE REDUCTION OF THE SENTENCE TO THE FACT THAT HIJAZI DID NOT IMPLEMENT HIS PLANS FOR THE SAKE OF WHICH HE POSSESSED WEAPONS AND EXPLOSIVES, ACCORDING TO COURT DOCUMENTS END QUOTE. ¶2. (U) IN SUBSEQUENT DISCUSSIONS WITH CONSULAR STAFF, HIJAZI'S LAWYER JALAL TAQSH CONFIRMED THE NEWSPAPER REPORT. HE CLARIFIED THAT UNDER JORDANIAN PENAL REGULATIONS, A "YEAR" OF IMPRISONMENT IS IN PRACTICE NINE MONTHS LONG, SO HIJAZI'S SENTENCE AMOUNTS TO 15 CALENDAR YEARS. AS HIJAZI HAS ALREADY SERVED FOUR CALENDAR YEARS, HE HAS 11 CALENDAR YEARS OF IMPRISONMENT REMAINING, ABSENT ANY POSSIBLE PARDON DURING THAT TIME. TAQSH AFFIRMED THAT THIS COURT PROCEEDING IS FINAL, AND THAT NO MORE APPEALS FROM HIJAZI WILL BE HEARD. HALE