Three suspects to be questioned over alleged shooting at gendarmes

AMMAN — Three men, suspected of shooting at gendarmes during riots in Theeban in June, were referred to the Criminal Court prosecutor on Thursday on charges of attempted murder, official sources said.

“The three young men were referred to the Criminal Court prosecution by the Madaba prosecutor because he decided that the case was not within his jurisdiction,” a senior judicial source said.

The source told The Jordan Times that the Criminal Court prosecutor will start questioning the suspects on Sunday.

“It is now up to the judiciary to determine if the men were involved in the shooting of three gendarmes during the June 22 riots,” a senior government official said.

Riots erupted in Theeban District in Madaba Governorate, 70km southwest of Amman, when gendarmerie forces removed a tent for protesters, mostly unemployed, who were demanding jobs from the government.

The government then said it removed the tent because the protesters’ initial demands for employment turned to political ones by inviting individuals who took part in protests against the state in the past.

The forces used tear gas to disperse the rioters after they allegedly threw rocks at public property, set tyres ablaze and fired live ammunition from automatic weapons at the troops.

Police rounded up 20 suspects, released 17 and kept three men in custody on suspicion of shooting at gendarmerie forces.

The government also announced then that it had reached a deal with the protesters by securing jobs for the unemployed in the private sector. In return, the protesters pledged to end their nightly sit-ins in downtown Theeban.

However, on Wednesday night, the same protesters erected a new tent to demand the release of the three men who are in custody and also claimed that the government did not fulfil its promises to secure them jobs.

“Gendarmerie forces were deployed again to the town and removed the tent,” said Amar Attallah, 22, one of the Theeban tent protesters.

Attallah stressed that the protesters’ demands are justified since “the government promised to release all the detainees and secure us jobs”.

But a senior government official stressed that “no one is above the law and we will not allow anyone to attack our forces who are risking their lives to serve and protect”.

Madaba Governor Mohammad Smeiran said, “we announced several job openings for the unemployed in the private sector almost five days ago but no one came forward to apply for the jobs.”

“We notified the unemployed that there are jobs and to come and apply but no one came forward. I still call on the unemployed who are seeking jobs to come and apply to work in the private sector,” Smeiran said.