Muslim preacher denied bail for second time

AMMAN — The State Security Court (SSC) on Wednesday refused to grant bail to Muslim scholar Amjad Qourshah for the second time, according to his defence team. 

The cleric’s lawyer Mahmoud Dqour submitted a second petition for bail on Tuesday to the SSC. 

“There is no logical justification for what is going on. Qourshah has been in solitary confinement without trial for over 60 days now and was only called for questioning three weeks ago. What is the purpose of not releasing him on bail?” asked Dqour.

He noted that “unlike in other cases, the SSC decision to refuse bail to the preacher was not coupled with any justification”.

“The court usually rejects bail when the person is under interrogation,” Dqour told The Jordan Times.  

Qourshah, a professor of Sharia at the University of Jordan and a former host of TV shows, was detained on June 13, reportedly over a video in which he criticised Jordan’s participation in the war against Daesh.
The prosecutor had ordered the detention of the preacher on charges of harming Jordan’s ties with a friendly state.
Qourshah, a UK graduate of inter-religious studies, has pleaded not guilty to the charges, which included “putting the security of the Kingdom at risk of hostile acts”.