A Jordanian journalist will appear in a Qatari court next month accused of spying, a charge punishable by death, his lawyer said Sunday.
Issa al-Manaei told The Associated Press that his client, Firas Majali, was detained in January and accused of committing acts of espionage in Qatar.
"In such cases, one could either be acquitted or sentenced to death," al-Manaei said. "(But) I believe he has a very good chance to defend himself."
A Qatari Interior Ministry official said Majali had provided the Jordanian intelligence with crucial information on Qatar.
The official added the reporter provided information to the Jordanian authorities on the status of U.S. troops in Qatar, along with economic and social data.
Majali, aged in his 30s, is a reporter for the state-owned Qatar Television. His wife is a broadcast journalist at the Qatari-based al-Jazeera satellite television. (Albawaba.com)
