JORDAN: NEA DAS WITTES PRESSES FOR INCREASED

S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 02 AMMAN 000317

SIPDIS

FOR NEA/PPD, NEA/ELA AND DRL

E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/03/2020
TAGS: PGOV KDEM SOCI JO
SUBJECT: JORDAN: NEA DAS WITTES PRESSES FOR INCREASED
FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION

REF: AMMAN 252

Classified By: Ambassador R. Stephen Beecroft for reasons 1.4 (b) and (
d)


1. (S) Summary: In the wake of the Secretary's speech on
Internet freedoms and a recent court decision subjecting
Jordan's online media to the problematic Press and
Publications law, NEA DAS Tamara Wittes met during her
January 26-28 visit with the King's media advisor to discuss
official actions affecting the media. DAS Wittes also hosted
an on-the-record roundtable with five editors of online news
sites and two bloggers, which received wide coverage in the
electronic media. In both events, she pressed for the GOJ
needs to take significant steps to guarantee freedom of
expression (including in the press and on the Internet). End
Summary.

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King's Advisor on GOJ Approach to Media
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2. (S) DAS Wittes met for 75 minutes on January 26 with
media advisor Ayman Safadi to review the government's
approach to the media. Safadi noted the presence of at least
seven dailies, dozens of weeklies, and scores of onlines
sites as proof of media freedoms here. He complained,
however, of the unprofessionalism of Jordan's media and the
ways in which government officials and journalists engage in
corrupt practices for personal benefit. Safadi asserted that
the King had instructed new PM Samir Al-Rifai in his letter
of designation to clean up corrupt government practices,
including relations with the media. "The King indicated that
we need clear laws, clear legislation, and a code of
conduct," Safadi said. "His Majesty is really committed this
time."


3. (S) Safadi pointed out that the PM had responded to the
King's instructions by issuing a "Code of Conduct" regulating
the government's relationship with the media, which was
announced at the end of December. The code specifically
targeted corrupt practices by government officials who
provided financial support to journalists in exchange for
favorable coverage. In particular, it instructs ministries to
brief reporters regularly, refrain from appointing
journalists to a public department to avoid conflicts of
interest, cancel subscriptions with all publications, only
purchase media from newsstands, and adhere to new criteria
regulating advertising.


4. (S) Safadi also discussed what he called the "unwelcome"
decision by Jordan's highest court, the Court of Cassation,
to place online media under the 1998 Press and Publications
law, most recently amended in 2007 (reftel). Following an
uproar by onlines over the decision, the PM's political
advisor, Samih Al-Ma'ayitah, had reassured online
representatives and bloggers that the government did not
intend to apply the law and require them to register or face
a penalty of JD 5,000-10,000 ($7,000-14,000) but that it
would apply the law in its regulation of content. Despite
problems with the current law, the government did not want to
pass new legislation without a seated Parliament because "the
optics wouldn't look right." The government did intend to
pass within weeks a cyber crimes law that would supersede the
Court of Cassation's ruling by specifically regulating
onlines, Safadi asserted.


5. (S) The Minister of Information Technology and
Communication was seeking input for the legislation from
"stakeholders" to ensure that it met international best
practices, he added. Safadi provided few details about the
draft legislation's content except to say that it differed
greatly from a version circulating online. DAS Wittes
stressed the U.S. commitment to democracy and human rights,
including freedom of expression regardless of the media, as
laid out by two of the Secretary's recent speeches. Freedom
of expression would be particularly important to Jordan as it
entered a sensitive period when public debate would be
essential to the soundness of a new electoral law and to
encouraging wider public participation in the election of a
new parliament, she said. DAS Wittes noted that the presence
of several different laws regulating the media contributed to
uncertainty about which laws applied and had a chilling
effect on the freedom of expression.

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Roundtable with Onlines
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6. (C) Separately on January 27, DAS Wittes hosted a

AMMAN 00000317 002 OF 002


45-minute on-the-record roundtable with five editors of
online news sites and two bloggers. She emphasized the U.S.
commitment to democracy and human rights, freedom of
expression--regardless of the medium--and the need for
uncensored public debate over proposed election legislation
and parliamentary elections. She also stressed that
democratic change could not be imposed from outside but must
come from the will of the people. Reporters asked about U.S.
funding for civil society, proposed U.S. legislation to
designate satellite channels as terrorist entities, whether
the U.S. would help expand media freedoms in Jordan, and
whether she had raised the right to free speech and a free
press in her meetings. DAS Wittes elaborated on MEPI funding
for civil society, including the $5 million NET RFA, and
explained that the HR2778 legislation had not become law and
was not necessarily the view of the U.S. Administration. She
also noted that she stressed to GOJ interlocutors the
importance of freedom of expression regardless of the medium.
Subsequent domestic local reporting based on the discussion
received positive, detailed coverage in many onlines,
including some which did not have reporters at the
roundtable. One website that did not attend the roundtable
did carry a negative piece on January 28, opining that the
"meeting" contributed to the impression that onlines had
sought foreign support in their fight with the government.

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Comment
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7. (C) As stressed by DAS Wittes in meetings with GOJ
officials and with others, the government needs to take
significant steps to guarantee freedom of expression
(including in the press and on the Internet),given the
existence of numerous laws that go to extreme lengths to
regulate media content, including Jordan's penal code of
1960, the Press and Publications law, State Security Court
law, Protection of State Secrets and Documents Law, and the
Contempt of Court Law. New legislation would ideally also
give parties an appropriate legal means to pursue recourse
for alleged slander, libel or defamation on the Internet,
which is a legitimate phenomena identified by Safadi and even
by online editors themselves.


8. (U) DAS Wittes cleared this cable.
Beecroft