AMMAN - Amman Prosecutor General Hassan Abdallat on Tuesday subpoenaed Dutch MP Geert Wilders after charging him with five counts for posting the anti-Islam film "Fitna" on the Internet in March.
The indictment came after Abdallat wrapped up an investigation in a case filed by "The Messenger of Allah Unites Us" campaign, under which activists and media outlets joined ranks to fight back at what they see as a wave of hatred targeting Islam, which started with the publishing and republishing of inflammatory cartoons insulting the Prophet Mohammad in Danish and other European newspapers, and then Wilders' documentary.
The local campaign included a call for boycotting Danish and Dutch products and lawsuits against Danish journalists and the Dutch MP.
According to the indictment, Wilders is charged with violating Articles 273, 278 and 189 of the Penal Code, Article 38 of the Press and Publications Law and Article 38 of the law governing "electronic transactions".
"As the defendant is not present in Jordan and has no address in the country, I herby decide under Articles 111/1, 115 and146 of the Criminal Procedure Law to subpoena the defendant, who shall be notified by the Dutch embassy in Amman through the minister of justice," Abdallat stated.
"The subpoena will be sent to Wilders through diplomatic channels," Abdallat told The Jordan Times on Tuesday.
The prosecutor's judicial note obligates Wilders either to appear in person before the Jordanian judiciary or appoint an attorney to represent him at hearing sessions, he explained.
If found guilty, Wilders would be sentenced up to three years in jail, the campaign's lawyer Osama Bitar told The Jordan Times yesterday.
He added that Wilders has no other choice but to appear before the court within 15 days of receiving the subpoena, otherwise, an arrest warrant might be circulated through Interpol.
He stressed that the campaign will proceed in confronting anti-Islamic campaigns with possible legal, economic, media and diplomatic means.
Dutch prosecutors on Monday said they will not take action against a politician who angered Muslims worldwide with a film critical of the Koran because he is protected by the right to free speech, Reuters reported.
"Wilders welcomed the ruling and said he had been careful to limit his criticism to the religion of Islam and not Muslims, but said he was still concerned about a case Jordan has launched against him that could limit his freedom to travel," Reuters added.
Although there is no extradition agreement between Jordan and the Netherlands, Bitar stressed that Wilders' movement will be restricted, as he could be arrested in other countries bound by Interpol agreements and then be extradited to the Kingdom.
Dutch embassy officials in Amman said they were not officially informed with the latest developments of the case filed against Wilders.
"We read about the lawsuit in the press and we prefer not to comment at the moment," Johan Verboom, deputy head of the mission, told The Jordan Times yesterday.
Earlier last month, Abdallat subpoenaed several Danish journalists and editors involved in republication of the offensive cartoons.
By Hani Hazaimeh
© Jordan Times 2008
