Former MP Osamah Al Rahil jailed for 12 years for sedition

AMMAN — The State Security Court (SSC) on Wednesday sentenced former MP Osamah Al Rahil to 12 years in prison after convicting him of charges including threatening the security and safety of society, spreading sedition, as well as jeopardising the life of His Majesty the King.

The Lower House of Parliament in June 2021 voted to expel Rahil following an emergency session to vote on a memo that was submitted by 109 deputies to oust him from the Chamber.

The emergency session was held following riots that occurred at the expelled MP’s hometown of Naour a day earlier, which resulted in the injury of four police officers.

On May 27, the Chamber decided to freeze the membership of the deputy for one year after he offended the House, its members and the internal regulations. 

The Lower House’s decision was made based on Rahil’s remarks in a session, which the MPs considered insulting to the Lower House’s reputation, prestige and members.

The SSC also handed the other suspects prison terms ranging from seven to eight years, according to the Jordan News Agency, Petra.

The SSC’s prosecution office had referred Rahil  and other defendants to the SSC. During the sessions, it found that the convicts committed acts that endangered the safety and security of society and provoked sedition, as well as found that they had manufactured flammable materials to be used illegally.

The court also said that the former deputy was found guilty of threatening His Majesty the King’s life and of using narcotics.  

After the dismissal of the MP from Parliament, the convicts plotted to incite the Jordanian public against the political system, its institutions and against security agencies, as well as called for public disobedience, the verdict said.

The former deputy utilised the assemblies and protests, which he called for and organised, to inflame strife, disturb public order and endanger society’s safety and security, according to the SSC.

To put their scheme into action, the convicts, including the former MP, met in a farm and improvised Molotov cocktails using gasoline and burnt oil to conduct a terrorist act meant to blowing up a gendarmerie armoured vehicle in Naour region, the court said, noting that the plot was foiled.