Prosecutor issues gagging order over Lebanese media personality's murder investigation

AMMAN — The Criminal Court prosecutor on Sunday issued a gagging order over the investigation into the Friday murder of renowned Lebanese radio talk show host Mazen Diab at his home in an Amman suburb.

Prosecutor Ishaq Abu Awad issued a circular banning the media from reporting about the case because it is “interfering with investigation procedures”, a senior judicial source said.

“Abu Awad took the decision following several reports that appeared mainly on news websites and were inaccurate and defamatory,” the source told The Jordan Times.

Abu Awad said any published news regarding this murder “is inaccurate until the investigation is over”, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

Diab, 31, who worked at Sawt Al Ghad local radio station, was found dead with his hands tied behind his back in his apartment in the Prince Rashed neighbourhood near Mecca Mall in west Amman on Friday evening.

On Saturday, police announced the arrest of four men who allegedly confessed to murdering him for “personal disputes”.

Coroners at the scene first established that Diab was choked to death because of strangulation marks on his neck.

However, a government autopsy later concluded that Diab died of a ruptured spleen caused by being hit with a blunt object.

Pathologists established that the assailants attempted to strangle the victim based on marks found on his neck.

Diab hosted a live talk show that was aired on Sawt Al Ghad at 5pm titled “Wo inta mraweh” (While heading home from work).

The victim, who is single, had been residing in the Kingdom for the past eight years and was a cancer survivor.

He started working at Sawt Al Ghad eight years ago and has dedicated part of his life to raise awareness on cancer in Jordan and the region.

He produced an awareness documentary on cancer that was titled “Ija Dawry” (It was my turn), which he distributed to schools, local NGOs and government institutions to raise awareness on cancer.

On Saturday, Prime Minister Abdullah Ensour condemned the murder of Diab at a press conference and offered his condolences to the "media family" in Jordan, Lebanon and the Arab world.