Ammon News - The State Security Court (SSC) has turned down a motion-to-dismiss by the lawyers of 17 defendants the court is trying for their brutal assault on a 16-year-old in Zarqa about two months ago.

In a session held Sunday, the court rejected the motion filed by the defendants lawyers who argued that the SSC lacked subject matter jurisdiction over the case, and decided to continue the trial.

During today's session, the court heard the testimonies of 3 public prosecution witnesses and will hear additional testimonies on Monday. In total, the court will hear from 26 public prosecution witnesses in two weekly sessions.

The 17 defendants, including a fugitive, face multiple charges including: Forming a gang, attempted murder, causing permanent disability, kidnapping, indecent assault, carrying out a terrorist act and spreading fear among the public, carrying and possessing blunt instruments, carrying and possessing a firearm without a license, and resisting security forces.

The assault, which drew wide public uproar, occurred in October when the group kidnapped the boy from the street and cut off his upper limbs and gouged out one of his eyes, purportedly, in revenge of a previous homicide.