TRIALS IN JORDAN'S STATE SECURITY COURT - AN UPDATE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 AMMAN 008850 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PTER PHUM ASEC IZ SY JO SUBJECT: TRIALS IN JORDAN'S STATE SECURITY COURT - AN UPDATE REF: A. A. AMMAN 7630 ¶B. B. AMMAN 4685 ¶C. C. 05 AMMAN 7600 Summary -------------- ¶1. (SBU) Jordan's State Security Court (SSC) handed down sentences in four terrorism-related cases, and continued proceedings against Nabil al-Jaaoura, a Jordanian who allegedly killed a British tourist at Amman's Roman Amphitheater in early September, and Ziyad Khalaf Karbouli, an Iraqi charged with murdering a Jordanian citizen in Iraq in September 2005. The SSC also began proceedings against three Hamas militants who allegedly planned attacks in Jordan. END SUMMARY. Aqaba Attackers Sentenced -------------- ¶2. (SBU) The SSC on December 7 sentenced Ali Muhammad Hasan al-Sahli (a Syrian) to death, and Abd-al-Rahman Ismai'l (Syrian) and Samih al-Nubani (Jordanian) each to two years in prison for their roles in August 2005 rocket attacks against a U.S. ship and the Israeli border town of Eilat. The Court of Cassation will automatically review the sentence of Sahli. If the sentence is upheld, the King must sign a death warrant before the execution can take place. The court also sentenced to death in absentia six others involved in the attack: Abd-al-Rahman al-Sahli (Syrian),Abdallah al-Sahli (Syrian),and Ammar Al-Sammarra'i (Iraqi). The SSC also sentenced in absentia Abd-al-Halim al-Dulaymi (Iraqi),Hamid al-Dulaymi (Iraqi),and Husam al-Dulaymi (Iraqi),each to ten years' imprisonment (ref B). HAMAS Weapons Case Brought to Trial -------------- ¶3. (SBU) The Prosecutor General of the SSC issued a bill of indictment November 4 against three Hamas-affiliated defendants accused of weapons smuggling, and plotting to attack Israeli targets in Jordan and the home of a Jordanian intelligence officer. The indictment alleges that Ayman Hamdallah and Iyad Abd-al-Latif met with Tawfiq Mahdi al-Abbushi of Hamas in 2002. Abbushi offered to grant the two membership in the movement, and arranged for their travel to Syria where they were to receive training and operational instructions. At a later date, Hamas members requested that the two surveil the home of an intelligence officer, and asked them to retrieve and store weapons from hidden arms caches in Jordan. According to press reports, Hamdallah met a third operative, Ahmad Abu-Rabi, with whom he agreed to carry out attacks in Jordan, "in the service of religion." If convicted, the two could face the death penalty. Al-Ta'ifah Al-Mansurah Defendants Convicted -------------- ¶4. (SBU) On October 18, the SSC found eight militants guilty of plotting to kill American and Iraqi trainers at the Jordan International Police Training Center, among other plots (ref B). The leader of the group, prisoner Ahmed Shabaneh, received a 10-year sentence. Fugitives Ahmad Yassin and Haitham al-Gazzaz were sentenced in absentia to ten years. One other fugitive and the remaining defendants were given sentences between two and seven and a half years. Press reports that Shabaneh formed the group al-Ta'ifah al-Mansurah (Victorious Sect) in 2003, following the U.S.-led war on Iraq, with the aim "to strike at Americans and Jews and carry out military operations against them inside Jordan." Five Convicted for Attempted Attacks in Israel -------------- - ¶5. (SBU) On November 22, the SSC sentenced Khaled Mohammad and Firas Rifai to ten years' imprisonment for possession of automatic weapons and planning to use them in attacks in Israel (ref B). Three other defendants (two under the age of eighteen at the time of their arrest) were each sentenced to one year in jail for carrying out acts that undermine Jordan's relations with a foreign country. Amphitheater Attacker Asks for Harshest Punishment -------------- -------------- ¶6. (SBU) Proceedings continue in the case of Nabil Ahmed Issa al-Jaaourah, accused of shooting tourists visiting Amman's Roman amphitheater in September (ref A). During his hearing, Jaaourah ranted against the United Kingdom, saying that "God blessed me when I killed a British man and hurt others because they have been fighting the Prophet and his AMMAN 00008850 002 OF 002 soldiers since the Balfour Declaration." Jaaourah has confessed to his crimes, and has asked the court to impose on him "the harshest punishment." Karbouli Claims Torture, Judges Add Slander to Charges -------------- -------------- ¶7. (SBU) Former Iraqi customs employee Ziad Khalaf Raja al-Karbouli proclaimed during his trial "We in al-Qaida will continue our holy war and our reward will be the dear virgins of heaven." He stands accused of killing a Jordanian driver and attacking other Jordanians in Iraq (ref A). After his arrest, the GoJ aired his taped confession on national television, but Karbouli claims it was extracted under torture. For his derisive comments in court against King Abdullah, the panel of judges hearing his case recommended the prosecutor add lese majeste to Karbouli's charge sheet. The court is trying thirteen others in this case in absentia. Three convicted for support of Hizb al-Tahrir -------------- ¶8. (SBU) On December 6 the SSC sentenced three men to prison terms for distributing illegal pamphlets and CDs prepared by the outlawed Hizb Al-Tahrir. Mohammad Noor and Mohammad Rashad each received one-year sentences, while Mohammad Kheir was sentenced to six months -- a fourth defendant, Ihab Najati was acquitted. Hizb al-Tahrir advocates the overthrow of the Hashemite monarchy (ref C). Visit Amman's Classified Web Site at http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/amman/ HALE