PM: Detainees held on incitement charges, a matter for the judiciary
15-01-2017 02:38 PM
Ammon News - AMMONNEWS - Prime Minister Hani Mulki Sunday said that six people recently ordered detained by the State Security Court on charges of "engaging in acts to incite public opinion in breach of the law" is the sole jurisdiction of the judicial authorities.
Responding to questions by lawmakers at the Lower House, Mulki said the competent security bodies, acting upon an order by the State Security Court's prosecutor general, had detained the suspects, including a former MP and a retired Major General.
He said the government "absolutely respects freedom of expression as long as it adheres to the provisions of the constitution and the law, and does not infringe the boundaries of the national interest or undermine the unique cohesion that has maintained the country's security and stability".
"The government, with all its agencies, has been respectful of the citizens' right to peaceful expression of their opinions and accepting constructive criticism, but will not target any citizen who opposes its policy within the parametres of the law", he pointed out.
"We have no doubts whatsoever about the justice, integrity and neutrality of the Jordanian judiciary", he told the lawmakers, adding that the law has the final say in the affair, and stressing that free speech does not mean incitement or (spreading) chaos.