Cassation Court upholds 2-year sentence for drug dealer

AMMAN — The Court of Cassation has upheld an October 2022 State Security Court (SSC) ruling sentencing a man to two years in prison after convicting him of possessing illegal narcotics in Amman in June 2023.

The court declared the defendant guilty of possessing illegal narcotics while in the street and handed him the maximum sentence.

The SSC also ordered him to pay JD1,000 in fines.

Court documents said the Anti-Narcotics Department (AND) learnt the defendant was in possession of illegal narcotics and placed him under surveillance.

“The AND agents arrested the defendant and found a variety of illegal narcotics, including Captagon pills and Hashish,” court documents said.

The defendant contested the SSC’s ruling through his lawyer, who argued that the court claimed that their legal errors were in the investigation procedures.

Meanwhile, the SSC prosecution office asked the higher court to uphold the sentence and the fine imposed on the defendant.

The higher court maintained that the SSC had followed the proper procedures in issuing the sentences against the defendant.

“It was clear to the court that the defendant confessed willingly to possessing the illegal drugs for personal use,” the higher court said.

Therefore, the higher court maintained that the defendant deserves the punishment he received.

The Cassation Court bench comprised judges Yassin Abdullat, Nayef Samarat, Hammad Ghzawi, Qassem Dughmi and Mohammad Khashashneh.