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A Black Year for Democracy in Jordan
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The 1998 Press and Publication Law (by Sa’eda Kilani with the support of ARTICLE 19; Centre for Media Freedom, Middle East and North Africa; the Committee to Protect Journalists; the EMHRN; FIDH; Human Rights Watch; and Reporters sans Frontières, 1998) In November 1997 Jordan signed an Association Agreement with the European Union (EU). The signing took place in the spirit of the Barcelona Declaration of November 1995, which aims at fostering dialogue, peace, stability and prosperity in the Mediterranean region. Article 2 of the Agreement states that all of its provisions shall be based on respect for democratic principles and fundamental human rights as set out in the Universal Declaration on Human Rights, which guides the Parties' internal and international policy and constitutes an essential element of the Agreement.
With the signing of the Agreement, Jordan strengthened its commitment to uphold universal human rights, as it had done previously when it ratified the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which includes free expression guarantees enshrined in Article 19.
As Sa'eda Kilani's report amply documents, the law imposes a sweeping regime of censorship, grants the government extensive control over independent newspapers, allows the closure of newspapers for a variety of broadly-worded infringements and restricts the work of foreign and local research institutes and centres. Hence, it represents a serious setback for the protection and promotion of democracy and respect for human rights.
The report provides background on the Jordanian government's attitude towards the press, and gives a chronology of events for the past year. Finally, it lists key provisions in the Law. Sa’eda Kilani makes it clear that freedom of press and opinion has seriously deteriorated in Jordan. In the final paragraph of the report, Kilani offers a series of key concerns and recommendations specifically the need for Jordanian authorities to revoke the law.
Also available in French.
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