Man handed 10 years in prison for plans to join terror group, plotting attacks

AMMAN — The Court of Cassation has upheld a July State Security Court ruling sentencing a man to 10 years in prison after convicting him of attempting to join terrorist groups and plotting attacks on police officers in December 2017.

The court declared the defendant, who is a supporter of the Daesh extremist group, guilty of threatening to conduct terrorist activities against police officers and handed him the maximum sentence.

Court papers said the defendant and another man who did not appeal his verdict were strong believers in the Daesh terror group and its ideology.

"The defendant and his friend used all means to spread the Daesh ideology because they believed that they applied the correct Sharia [Islamic law]," court transcripts said.

The defendant decided to target police officers "because it was acceptable to kill them based on  Daesh ideology", court papers said.

"The defendant and his friend also wanted to meet Daesh fighters and decided to travel to Syria via Turkey," court papers said.

However, the two were arrested before they were able to carry out any of their alleged plans, the court documents said.

The defendant, through his lawyer, contested the verdict, arguing that the SSC failed to present any solid evidence that could implicate him.

The lawyer also argued that the SSC relied on weak evidence and unreliable witnesses when issuing its verdict, according to court documents.

Meanwhile, the SSC's general attorney had asked the higher court to uphold the ruling, stating that the court abided by the proper legal procedures when sentencing the defendant.

The higher court ruled that the SSC followed the proper procedures when sentencing the defendant and that he deserved the verdict he received. 

The Court of Cassation judges were Mohammad Ibrahim, Naji Zubi, Yassin Abdullat, Bassim Mubeidin and Saeed Mugheid.