A Jordanian MP who was charged with smuggling weapons into the Israeli-occupied West Bank will go on trial next week, officials said on Wednesday.
The case of Imad Adwan, who comes from an influential clan, has highlighted Jordan’s complex ties with Israel and tribal dynamics that can affect the political system in the kingdom.
Officials said the trial, to be held privately in a secure court, will start next Tuesday, after Mr Adwan’s lawyer, Ali Mubaidin, submitted a last-minute motion questioning the indictment.
“The trial was supposed to start today but the motion delayed it,” an official, who did not want to be named, said on Wednesday.
No media, nor anyone other than Mr Adwan’s lawyer, are allowed at the trial, similar to most cases handled by the security court. Thirteen suspected accomplices, who have not been identified, will go on trial with Mr Adwan on Tuesday.
The official said Mr Adwan’s lawyer asked to dismiss the case over “lack of physical evidence” and on the grounds that the prosecution had built the allegations on hearsay.
He said another lawyer for one of the 13 defendants also had sent a written objection to the court, stating his client was motivated by profit, not terrorism, so the case should not be tried by the security court.
In April, Israeli security personnel arrested Mr Adwan at the Allenby Bridge on the Jordan river that separates the two countries. He was later handed over to Jordanian authorities.
In his car were 194 handguns and 12 rifles, according to Israeli media, which based its reports on an investigation by Shin Bet, Israel's security agency.
Mr Adwan sat on the parliament’s Palestine Committee, which monitors Israeli violations in occupied Palestinian territories, in line with official Jordanian policy of denouncing Israeli pressure on the West Bank and Gaza.
Jordan, however, has close security co-operation with Israel and the countries are main recipients of US aid.
When Mr Adwan was arrested, members of his tribe staged protests in the Jordan Valley and sought to portray him as a resistance hero.
The Adwans, together with other tribes east of the Jordan river, played a main role in the formation of Jordan as a British protectorate in 1921 and became the main strata underpinning the security forces.
All significant powers in Jordan lie with King Abdullah II. The 130-member parliament, which is comprised mainly of tribal deputies, is awarded airtime in state media, helping to raise the profile of its members and perceived societal status.
Among the perks of being in the legislature is a diplomatic passport, which Mr Adwan is suspected of having used to facilitate smuggling.
According to the Jordanian indictment, Mr Adwan received a commission of $1,400 for every piece of weaponry and $700 for every kilogram of gold he smuggled in his car.
The vehicle, a Lexus, received “special treatment” at the crossing, the document claimed.
The weapons it was alleged to be carrying when Mr Adwan was arrested on April 22 were said to have been supplied by a gun dealer in the city of Madaba, near Amman, packed in two suitcases.
“He aroused the suspicion of the Israeli authorities,” the indictment said.
ORDER OF PLAY ON SHOW COURTS
Centre Court - 4pm (UAE)
Gael Monfils (15) v Kyle Edmund
Karolina Pliskova (3) v Magdalena Rybarikova
Dusan Lajovic v Roger Federer (3)
Court 1 - 4pm
Adam Pavlasek v Novak Djokovic (2)
Dominic Thiem (8) v Gilles Simon
Angelique Kerber (1) v Kirsten Flipkens
Court 2 - 2.30pm
Grigor Dimitrov (13) v Marcos Baghdatis
Agnieszka Radwanska (9) v Christina McHale
Milos Raonic (6) v Mikhail Youzhny
Tsvetana Pironkova v Caroline Wozniacki (5)
Company%20Profile
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20myZoi%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202021%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Syed%20Ali%2C%20Christian%20Buchholz%2C%20Shanawaz%20Rouf%2C%20Arsalan%20Siddiqui%2C%20Nabid%20Hassan%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20UAE%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ENumber%20of%20staff%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2037%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Initial%20undisclosed%20funding%20from%20SC%20Ventures%3B%20second%20round%20of%20funding%20totalling%20%2414%20million%20from%20a%20consortium%20of%20SBI%2C%20a%20Japanese%20VC%20firm%2C%20and%20SC%20Venture%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Why seagrass matters
- Carbon sink: Seagrass sequesters carbon up to 35X faster than tropical rainforests
- Marine nursery: Crucial habitat for juvenile fish, crustations, and invertebrates
- Biodiversity: Support species like sea turtles, dugongs, and seabirds
- Coastal protection: Reduce erosion and improve water quality
THE BIO:
Favourite holiday destination: Thailand. I go every year and I’m obsessed with the fitness camps there.
Favourite book: Born to Run by Christopher McDougall. It’s an amazing story about barefoot running.
Favourite film: A League of their Own. I used to love watching it in my granny’s house when I was seven.
Personal motto: Believe it and you can achieve it.
Ads on social media can 'normalise' drugs
A UK report on youth social media habits commissioned by advocacy group Volteface found a quarter of young people were exposed to illegal drug dealers on social media.
The poll of 2,006 people aged 16-24 assessed their exposure to drug dealers online in a nationally representative survey.
Of those admitting to seeing drugs for sale online, 56 per cent saw them advertised on Snapchat, 55 per cent on Instagram and 47 per cent on Facebook.
Cannabis was the drug most pushed by online dealers, with 63 per cent of survey respondents claiming to have seen adverts on social media for the drug, followed by cocaine (26 per cent) and MDMA/ecstasy, with 24 per cent of people.
The biog
Name: Salvador Toriano Jr
Age: 59
From: Laguna, The Philippines
Favourite dish: Seabass or Fish and Chips
Hobbies: When he’s not in the restaurant, he still likes to cook, along with walking and meeting up with friends.
SERIES INFO
Afghanistan v Zimbabwe, Abu Dhabi Sunshine Series
All matches at the Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi
Test series
1st Test: Zimbabwe beat Afghanistan by 10 wickets
2nd Test: Wednesday, 10 March – Sunday, 14 March
Play starts at 9.30am
T20 series
1st T20I: Wednesday, 17 March
2nd T20I: Friday, 19 March
3rd T20I: Saturday, 20 March
TV
Supporters in the UAE can watch the matches on the Rabbithole channel on YouTube
Developer: Ubisoft Montreal / Ubisoft Toronto
Publisher: Ubisoft
Platforms: Playstation 4, Xbox One, Windows
Release Date: April 10
UJDA CHAMAN
Produced: Panorama Studios International
Directed: Abhishek Pathak
Cast: Sunny Singh, Maanvi Gagroo, Grusha Kapoor, Saurabh Shukla
Rating: 3.5 /5 stars
RESULTS
Bantamweight:
Zia Mashwani (PAK) bt Chris Corton (PHI)
Super lightweight:
Flavio Serafin (BRA) bt Mohammad Al Khatib (JOR)
Super lightweight:
Dwight Brooks (USA) bt Alex Nacfur (BRA)
Bantamweight:
Tariq Ismail (CAN) bt Jalal Al Daaja (JOR)
Featherweight:
Abdullatip Magomedov (RUS) bt Sulaiman Al Modhyan (KUW)
Middleweight:
Mohammad Fakhreddine (LEB) bt Christofer Silva (BRA)
Middleweight:
Rustam Chsiev (RUS) bt Tarek Suleiman (SYR)
Welterweight:
Khamzat Chimaev (SWE) bt Mzwandile Hlongwa (RSA)
Lightweight:
Alex Martinez (CAN) bt Anas Siraj Mounir (MAR)
Welterweight:
Jarrah Al Selawi (JOR) bt Abdoul Abdouraguimov (FRA)
