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Salafist leader sentenced to nine years for sectarian incitement

By Rana Husseini - Jan 15,2019 - Last updated at Jan 15,2019

AMMAN — The State Security Court (SSC) on Tuesday sentenced a Jihadi Salafist leader to nine years in prison after convicting him of incitement against the political regime.

Abed Al Tahawi, better known as Abu Mohammad Al Tahawi, was standing trial at the SSC in connection with the Zarqa demonstrations in 2011.

Tahawi made no reaction upon hearing his conviction verdict read out by presiding judge, Mohammad Afif, a senior judicial source told The Jordan Times.

“The punishment for the charge Tahwai was standing for was a maximum of 15 years in prison, but the court decided to only sentence him to nine years,” the judicial source explained. 

Tahawi was arrested in 2011 in Zarqa Governorate, some 22km east of Amman, during his participation in protest at the rise of “the Arab Spring”.

Over 200 people were arrested at the time, but only 90 people were charged with conducting terrorist acts, sowing sedition and sectarianism and participating in riots.

The majority of the defendants, who had been released on bail, were tried in absentia, according to the senior judicial source.

Tuesday’s verdict will automatically be reviewed by the Court of Cassation within the next 30 days.

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