Two officers detained for alleged police brutality in Karak

AMMAN — Two police officers in Karak were ordered detained late Wednesday night by the police prosecutor on charges of police brutality, official sources said.

The two police officers appeared in a video clip alongside other police officers where they were seen “beating up a citizen who resisted arrest,” Police Spokesperson Lt. Col. Amer Sartawi said.

“Director of the Public Security Department [PSD] Maj. Gen. Ahmad Faqih immediately ordered an investigation into the incident and, as a result, two officers were ordered detained pending further investigation,” Sartawi told The Jordan Times.

Faqi instructed the police prosecutor to ensure “a fair investigation and to take the appropriate legal procedures against any police officer implicated in the incident,” Sartawi added.

The citizen who was subjected to the alleged attack dropped the charges, according to Sartawi, “but we are still proceeding with investigations and anyone found guilty of abuse will be referred to the police court”.

Meanwhile, the Government Coordinator for Human Rights Basel Tarawneh told The Jordan Times that “his office is following up on the incident”.

“We surely do not tolerate such isolated acts and we will follow up on this incident and any other reported incidents,” Tarawneh told The Jordan Times.

In October, the Police Court sentenced three police officers to prison terms ranging from two months to one year in connection with the riots that occurred at Swaqa Correctional and Rehabilitation Centre (SCRC) in September, official sources said.

The court also decided to discharge the three officers after they were found guilty of failing to perform their duties adequately.

Meanwhile, the court acquitted 10 other police officers for lack of evidence.

The 13 officers were originally charged with smuggling illegal substances to the inmates, including a mobile phone and illegal narcotics, in return for cash. 

Riots and acts of arson were reportedly committed by dozens of SCRC inmates in September with several video clips purportedly showing inmates harming themselves with sharp objects.

The video clips, which surfaced on the Internet, caused an uproar on social media platforms in Jordan.