Jordanians' response to executions mixed
Jordan’s execution of 11 prisoners last month took the kingdom by surprise and drew a mixed response, including among the royal family, with one prince criticizing it as a “step backward” for the country.
AMMAN, Jordan — The execution of 11 convicted murderers by hanging on Dec. 21 brought an end to an informal eight-year moratorium on capital punishment in Jordan, which is now gearing up for a new round of executions, an official source familiar with the situation told Al-Monitor.
All the executed men were between the ages of 30 and 40 and had been convicted by the Criminal Court between 2004 and 2005 for committing violent, premeditated murders, some multiple murders. A royal decree was required to proceed with the executions, which although in line with Jordan’s conservative religious community and tribal customs, set a precedent in the Western-backed kingdom’s recent history: Never before had more than three people been executed at once.
Today, 114 convicts remain on death row in Jordan. Twelve are women, including Sajida Rishawi, a failed Iraqi suicide bomber who participated in the 2005 Amman hotel bombings claimed by al-Qaeda in Iraq that killed 60 people and injured dozens.
An official speaking on condition of anonymity told Al-Monitor, “A new batch of prisoners has already been moved to the Swaqa Correctional and Rehabilitation Center and is now waiting for the death sentences to be carried out.” Swaqa, located some 100 kilometers (62 miles) south of Amman, is the only penal institution in the country with a death chamber.
