Your Excellency:
The Committee to Protect Journalists is deeply concerned that Jordanian
authorities have harassed and censored journalists on several occasions
since your government was formed in April. Several journalists interviewed
by CPJ in recent weeks said that authorities have pressured printers
to delay the publication of newspapers until editors agreed to remove
critical articles. Further, editors have received phone calls from security
officials instructing them how to cover certain events.
Publication of the weekly Al-Wihda, which has been censored before,
was delayed on April 10 by security authorities until an article by
journalist Muwaffaq Mahadin was removed. Mahadin told CPJ that the article
was critical of how your government was formed, claiming that its selection
was undemocratic and that it was no different than previous governments.
Al-Wihda was allowed to publish only after Mahadin's article
was excised.
Fahd al-Rimawi, editor of the weekly newspaper Al-Majd, another
often-censored weekly, told CPJ that publication of his May 8 edition
was delayed by the printer under pressure from security officials. Authorities
objected to Al-Majd's planned interview with a member of parliament
who said he supported the Iraqi insurgency and was opposed to the interim
government of Iraqi Prime Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari. Al-Rimawi told
CPJ that the interview was removed after the member of parliament was
pressured to rescind his comments. Al-Rimawi said he often receives
calls from the printer, which is partly owned by the state, or
security authorities telling him that editions will not be published
until certain material is removed.
Publication of at least one other weekly newspaper was delayed recently
because of critical articles, local journalists told CPJ. The printing
of the weekly Al-Jazeera was held back one day until three front-page
articles critical of government policies were removed.
Journalists also told CPJ that several newspaper editors received calls
from security officials prior to Iraqi President Jalal Talabani's visit
to Jordan last month, instructing them to be careful not to support
the insurgency in Iraq in their coverage. Relations between Jordan and
Iraq have been tense n recent months, and Talabani's visit to Jordan
in May was his first international trip as Iraq's president.
Since taking office on April 7, 2005, you have publicly stated on several
occasions your government's commitment to political reform, including
your support for freedom of the press. On May 3, World Press Freedom
Day, you wrote to Jordan's Higher Media Council and the Jordan Press
Association promising that your government "will provide the arena for
a freer press as part of the overall reform process." In practice, however,
journalists continue to face serious restrictions. Censorship and intimidation
of journalists represent undisguised attacks on the most basic global
standard for a free press. We urge you to do everything in your power
to ensure that Jordanian officials cease their interference with the
press, and we call on you to take all necessary measures to make certain
that journalists are able to carry out their work freely.
Thank you for your attention to this important matter. We look forward
to your reply.
Sincerely,
Ann Cooper
Executive Director
