Jordan’s State Security Court on Wednesday issued verdicts in a series of high-profile cases that, authorities said, threatened national security and sought to incite unrest, offences that were first revealed in mid-April, the Jordan News Agency reported.
Jordan thwarted in April a plot against the kingdom's security by members of the Muslim Brotherhood, who were arrested on suspicion of manufacturing rockets and possessing explosives. The members had worked in four cells since 2021, with some receiving training in Lebanon or travelling abroad to obtain help in missile production.
In the missile manufacturing case, the court handed down the harshest penalties, sentencing Abdullah Hisham and Moath Ghanem to 15 years of hard labour and ordering them to pay court fees. A third defendant, Mohsin Ghanem, received seven and a half years of hard labour and was also ordered to pay fees.
The court found Hisham and Moath Ghanem guilty of jointly manufacturing weapons for unlawful use. Mohsin Ghanem was convicted of assisting in the same offence under the same provisions. All three were additionally found guilty of acts that “threaten public order and endanger public safety”, according to a court statement carried by the state news agency.
Two other defendants were convicted in a related recruitment case, while four were sentenced in a training case, both under the Anti-Terrorism Law.
In a separate drones case, however, the court acquitted four defendants of all charges brought by the State Security prosecutor. The court said it found no evidence of the “specific intent” required by law to establish a criminal act and ordered their release, the statement said.
The court’s decisions are subject to appeal before the Court of Cassation, it added.
Shortly after the arrests in April, Jordan outlawed the Muslim Brotherhood and confiscated its assets.
The Brotherhood had for years been officially considered dissolved in the kingdom. However, the measures taken earlier this year severely limited the room for manoeuvre it has had amid pressure on the political system emanating from the war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza. The ban included publishing anything by the group and the closure and confiscation of all its offices and property.
Jordan then launched legal action against organisations “operating under the influence” of the Muslim Brotherhood as part of the escalating crackdown.
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MATCH INFO
Syria v Australia
2018 World Cup qualifying: Asia fourth round play-off first leg
Venue: Hang Jebat Stadium (Malacca, Malayisa)
Kick-off: Thursday, 4.30pm (UAE)
Watch: beIN Sports HD
* Second leg in Australia scheduled for October 10
2025 Fifa Club World Cup groups
Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.
Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.
Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.
Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, (Leon banned).
Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.
Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.
Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus.
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Publisher: Konami
Platforms: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PC
Rating: 4.5/5
MATCH INFO
Iceland 0 England 1 (Sterling pen 90 1)
Man of the match Kari Arnason (Iceland)
Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Tearful appearance
Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.
Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.
She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.
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Age: 30
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Who's who in Yemen conflict
Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government
Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council
Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south
Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory
The specs
The specs: 2019 Audi Q8
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Brief scoreline:
Liverpool 2
Keita 5', Firmino 26'
Porto 0
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The specs
AT4 Ultimate, as tested
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Who was Alfred Nobel?
The Nobel Prize was created by wealthy Swedish chemist and entrepreneur Alfred Nobel.
- In his will he dictated that the bulk of his estate should be used to fund "prizes to those who, during the preceding year, have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind".
- Nobel is best known as the inventor of dynamite, but also wrote poetry and drama and could speak Russian, French, English and German by the age of 17. The five original prize categories reflect the interests closest to his heart.
- Nobel died in 1896 but it took until 1901, following a legal battle over his will, before the first prizes were awarded.
