ALBAWABA - Just what is happening to journalism and journalists in Jordan? This is what everybody wants to know.
Alarming! The Jordan authorities just detained, and within one day of each other, two prominent journalists coming into the Kingdom from the United States.
First, Taghreed Risheq and then Daoud Kuttab were detained and questioned. Some people made a complaint about them related to cyber crimes and writing online which is becoming a sensitive topic in Jordan and the Arab world.
On March 6, DAWN's Arabic Media Manager @taghreedrisheq was detained while entering Jordan and informed she faced a complaint for violating the country's Cybercrime law. Taghreed was released on bail on March 7 and we are working hard to have these charges dropped immediately. pic.twitter.com/kMOMIR1u0j
— DAWN MENA (@DAWNmenaorg) March 8, 2022
Both journalists, and who hold US citizenship, say they don't know why they have been detained and complaints made against them. But their arrest and questioning at the Jordan International Airport is related to the Jordan Cyber Crime Law and which is today taken very seriously by the authorities in the Kingdom.
The social media has been rife with the news of the detentions. Both were released shortly afterwards on bail. The two are respected journalists who have long been in the media and have been vocal in their views but nothing like this ever happened before they say.
Two days ago @DaoudKuttab had an interview with @jordannewsdaily on the state of media in jordan and he said that “The freedom of the media is slowly becoming more restricted as the govt. is becoming less tolerant of even mild criticism”
— Bara' براء (@NetflixAndHell) March 7, 2022
source ? https://t.co/iy8JG9cCn4 pic.twitter.com/RC3WmT4xZD
Risheq is an award-winning journalist and is the media manager of the “Democracy for the Arab World Now, or DAWN that is based in Washington according to its twitter page.
Just in ? they arrested the journalist @DaoudKuttab in a cybercrime accusation at Jordan’s airport.
— Bara' براء (@NetflixAndHell) March 7, 2022
What a day !! https://t.co/MFc67sMzEF
On the other hand, Kuttab is a Palestinian journalist, a media activist and is currently the director-general of the Community Media Network and was at one time a Ferris Professor of Journalism at Princeton University. He has long-lived in Amman and is the director of community Al Balad Radio station.
@USEmbassyJordan Daoud Kuttab , another US citizen & journalist arrested today at Airport in Amman . Are you going to do something about the arrests of US citizens in Jordan upon arrival for their right to freedom of speech ?!
— M. K. (@MK35417862) March 7, 2022
Their arrests have sent many alarm bells ringing about freedom of the press. Many on the social media said their detention, even though for a short, while says much about new crackdown and restrictions on journalists and press freedoms.
Update
A few days later, the Jordan government passed fresh instructions banning the stopping of anyone coming through the airport but merely warning him/her there is a case against them and they should contact the appropriate authorities.
