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Jordan's reforms avert crisis, but remain insufficient -- Human Rights

By Hani Hazaimeh AMMAN -- In the tumultuous political climate of the Arab Spring, Jordan has managed to avert a major crisis through its reform efforts, but the reforms do not go far enough, Human Rights Watch (HRW) said in its 2012 world report.

Highlighting political developments at the global level, this year's 676-page report mainly focused on the Arab Spring and its aftermath in the Middle East and beyond.

Reviewing the events that have shaped the Kingdom's political scene over the past year, the human rights watchdog described reforms taken by the government last year in response to the National Dialogue Committee and the Constitutional Amendments Commission as "modest", calling for more substantial changes that meet popular demands for more freedoms.

"The committees proposed modest reforms to the electoral system, and significant reforms to the Constitution, though they left out guarantees for gender equality. Parliament rejected proposed constitutional restrictions on the military-dominated State Security Court's powers to try civilians. The General Intelligence Department affirmed in May that its agents were no longer present on university campuses, in response to the King's directives," the human rights advocacy group's report said.

Citing the National Centre for Human Rights, the report said a committee was established in April to restore nationality to Jordanians of Palestinian origin from whom officials had arbitrarily withdrawn documentation, but only around 50 individuals benefited.

HRW also called on the local authorities to enforce legal protection for approximately 70,000 migrant domestic workers in the country, including limits to working hours, a guaranteed weekly day off and prosecution of human traffickers.

"Hundreds of migrant workers... complained about labour violations, including unpaid salaries, confiscation of passports and forced labour. In July, the government mandated that migrant domestic workers' salaries be paid directly into verifiable bank accounts and in September proposed lifting restrictions on the freedom of movement of migrant domestic workers," the report said, adding however that the labour ministry's committee tasked with addressing labour disputes has consistently failed to secure the unpaid salaries of domestic workers, or to adequately protect workers from long hours and from remaining trapped in abusive households.

Touching on the freedom of expression, the report noted that Jordan criminalises speech critical of the King, government officials and institutions, Islam and speech deemed insulting to other persons, citing the resignation of government spokesperson Taher Adwan in response to government plans to impose more restrictions on the freedom of speech.

"[Adwan's resignation] made the government withdraw controversial proposed amendments to the Press and Publications Law, which would have allowed for the banning of local and foreign publications that violate the law," said the report, adding that in September the government amended a draft Anti-Corruption Commission law, replacing a six-month prison sentence on anyone who accused others of corruption without justification with a hefty fine.

Meanwhile, the report commended an amendment to the Public Gatherings Law adopted last March, which removed the requirement of government permission to hold public meetings or demonstrations, adding that since last January, hundreds of protests demanding political and economic reforms have taken place, almost all of which ended peacefully.

© Jordan Times 2012