Ammon News - By Amal Ghabayen

AMMONNEWS - The State Security Court (SSC) on Thursday sentenced a young pro-reform activist to two years in prison after it found him guilty of 'harming the King's dignity.'

The charges were brought against 18-year old Abu Issa for torching a poster of the King's picture that was placed above the Madaba municipality building during a pro-reform protest, a charge that denotes lèse majesté.

Human Rights watchdog agencies expressed concern over claims that Abu Issa was beaten by police in a detention center following his arrest earlier in January.

Abu Issa's attorney, Musa Abdullat denounced the sentence, blasting it as unfair. The attorney said that the military tribunal did not consider the young man's age and other circumstances for his action, considerations that would have been taken if Abu Issa was tried by a civil court, according to his expression.

'The court decision is political in nature," Abdullat said, noting that others who were charged with similar charges received lesser sentences.