TV show host charged with ‘undermining regime’

AMMAN — Amman Prosecutor General Rami Tarawneh on Wednesday referred Hossam Abdallat, who hosts a TV show on Jordan Future channel, to the State Security Court (SSC) on charges of “undermining the regime”, his lawyer said. 

Attorney Musa Abdallat told The Jordan Times over the phone that the prosecutor general issued three charges against his client, who also works as assistant secretary general of the Ministry of Social Development. 

The charges are lèse-majesté, insulting official agencies and operating a satellite channel without a licence. 

Hossam Abdallat is currently detained for 15 days at the Juweideh Correctional and Rehabilitation Centre pending interrogation, the lawyer said, criticising the prosecutor general’s decision to refer the case to the SSC. 

Such charges, he said, should be tried in civil courts. 

The attorney added that Hossam, who hosts a live political show, was arrested on Tuesday because he criticised the Lower House and the performance of MPs, noting that he was carrying out a campaign calling for dissolving the House.

“He has visited several areas across the Kingdom to gather signatures from people calling for dissolving Parliament,” the lawyer said, adding that Hossam never committed offences against the regime. 

“We have the tapes of the programmes and we are ready to challenge the court,” he added.