JOURNALISTS TO APPEAL SENTENCING OVER DANISH

UNCLAS AMMAN 004026

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV KISL KDEM JO
SUBJECT: JOURNALISTS TO APPEAL SENTENCING OVER DANISH
CARTOONS

REF: A. AMMAN 840


B. AMMAN 960


1. (U) Amman's Conciliation Court on May 30 sentenced two
editors to two months, imprisonment for "attacking religious
sentiment" over their publication of the controversial Danish
cartoons of the prophet Mohammed (reftels). Prosecutors
originally charged the two, Jihad Al-Momani of the Arabic
weekly Shihan and Hussein Al-Khalidi of al-Mishwar,
respectively, in February 2006.


2. (U) The court immediately renewed the editors, bail
pending their appeals. The two have been free on bail since
prosecutors first lodged the charges.


Media coverage
--------------


3. (U) There was scant coverage of the sentencing by
Jordanian media outlets, and only in English. The centrist,
elite English daily Jordan Times reported that if the
editors, appeals fail, the court could give the editors the
option of paying a fine in lieu of imprisonment (post is
seeking to confirm this assessment). The Jordan Times story
quotes Jihad Al-Momani as saying "I am in a state of
disbelief. We had a strong case. Let's wait and see what
happens in the appeal." It also quotes a leading free speech
advocate, Nidal Mansour of the Jordan-based Center for
Defending the Freedom of Journalists, who said that while he
respected the court's ruling, he opposed putting journalists
"behind bars."


4. (SBU) Momani informed Public Affairs officers on May 10
that other charges may be pending, but did not specify.


5. (SBU) Comment: In February and March, public opinion
overwhelmingly supported the prosecution of the two editors,
and undoubtedly would today if the case again generates
significant coverage in the Arabic-language media. A few
religious and civil society figures in Jordan criticized the
charges against the two editors, but theirs is a minority
view.


6. (U) The two-month prison sentences were the minimum
available to the court. If the court commutes the sentences
to fines, it will equate to US $3.00 per day for every day of
imprisonment, or around $170.00 for two months.


7. (U) The cartoon episode slowed the government's effort to
amend Jordan's press law in order to drop prison sentences in
libel cases, even though prosecutors charged Al- Momani and
Al-Khalidi under a statute technically unrelated to the libel
law. The government had been planning a new push this summer
to gain Parliament's approval of a liberalized press bill.
The Momani/Khalidi case has been out of the news now for
months, but if the latest legal developments generate
extensive coverage in the media, it could again harden
Parliament against press liberalization. End comment.

Visit Amman's Classified Web Site at
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/amman/
HALE