Iraq Embassy beating of Jordanian activists stirs protest, investigation
AMMONNEWS - A video clip showing cadres of the Iraqi Embassy in Amman reportedly beating Jordanian Ba'athist activist during an embassy reception last week stirred hundreds of protesters to demonstrate in front of the Embassy in Amman on Monday, calling for expelling the Iraqi Ambassador from Jordan and reprimanding its cadres.
An edited video clip, broadcasted by an Iraqi TV channel and circulated on social networking sites, shows embassy cadres attacking Jordanian Ba'athist activists who walked into the function and chanted slogans against Iraqi President Nuri al-Maliki and in support of late Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein and his Ba'athist regime.
Among the Jordanian activists reportedly beaten by embassy staff and security was Ziyad Najdawi, a Jordanian Ba'athist and attorney who represented Saddam Hussein and was part of the late president's defense team. Najdawi reportedly sustained broken bones and was beaten badly.
The Jordanian Foreign Ministry on Monday asked the iraqi Embassy for clarification over what took place during the incident, a government source told Ammon News.
The source emphasized that the Ministry was dismayed at what took place during the incident, and noted that the Iraqi Embassy submitted an official complaint.
'Police will investigate the details of the incident, and will take stern measures against violators from either party when the results of the investigation are concluded,' the senior official said.
The incident occurred last Thursday at the Royal Cultural Center in Amman to commemorate what the Iraqi Embassy called 'Mass Graves in the Era of the Former Regime.'
Activists had claimed that Iraqi Ambassador Jawad Abbas was attacked during the incident.
Abbas denied in statements to Ammon News on Friday that he was attacked, saying that the event was held to mark what he described as 'the atrocities of Saddam's regime.'
The Ambassador said that scuffles occurred following the reception, adding that the group that stormed into the event was escorted out of the building and one of them was arrested.
Hundreds of protesters on Monday demonstrated in front of the Iraqi Embassy, mostly Ba'athist activists, protesting the attacks that took place during the reception.
The protesters chanted slogans in support of the 'revolutionaries in Al Anbar and Fallujah' in Iraq, the mainly Sunni tribal Western region of Iraq that has been witnessing ongoing tensions with security forces.
One of the activists who was reportedly beaten during the reception told Ammon News that the embassy cadre and the Ambassador's security personnel insulted Jordan and beat the activists and 'drugged' them, according to his expression.
Dirar Khatatneh, a Ba'athist activist, said that the Iraqi TV channel that broadcasted the video clip 'intentionally muted the video to hide the insults made by the Iraqi cadre. He accused the TV channel of being backed by Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki's party.
Below is the video clip of the incident as broadcasted by Dijla Iraqi TV
AMMONNEWS - A video clip showing cadres of the Iraqi Embassy in Amman reportedly beating Jordanian Ba'athist activist during an embassy reception last week stirred hundreds of protesters to demonstrate in front of the Embassy in Amman on Monday, calling for expelling the Iraqi Ambassador from Jordan and reprimanding its cadres.
An edited video clip, broadcasted by an Iraqi TV channel and circulated on social networking sites, shows embassy cadres attacking Jordanian Ba'athist activists who walked into the function and chanted slogans against Iraqi President Nuri al-Maliki and in support of late Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein and his Ba'athist regime.
Among the Jordanian activists reportedly beaten by embassy staff and security was Ziyad Najdawi, a Jordanian Ba'athist and attorney who represented Saddam Hussein and was part of the late president's defense team. Najdawi reportedly sustained broken bones and was beaten badly.
The Jordanian Foreign Ministry on Monday asked the iraqi Embassy for clarification over what took place during the incident, a government source told Ammon News.
The source emphasized that the Ministry was dismayed at what took place during the incident, and noted that the Iraqi Embassy submitted an official complaint.
'Police will investigate the details of the incident, and will take stern measures against violators from either party when the results of the investigation are concluded,' the senior official said.
The incident occurred last Thursday at the Royal Cultural Center in Amman to commemorate what the Iraqi Embassy called 'Mass Graves in the Era of the Former Regime.'
Activists had claimed that Iraqi Ambassador Jawad Abbas was attacked during the incident.
Abbas denied in statements to Ammon News on Friday that he was attacked, saying that the event was held to mark what he described as 'the atrocities of Saddam's regime.'
The Ambassador said that scuffles occurred following the reception, adding that the group that stormed into the event was escorted out of the building and one of them was arrested.
Hundreds of protesters on Monday demonstrated in front of the Iraqi Embassy, mostly Ba'athist activists, protesting the attacks that took place during the reception.
The protesters chanted slogans in support of the 'revolutionaries in Al Anbar and Fallujah' in Iraq, the mainly Sunni tribal Western region of Iraq that has been witnessing ongoing tensions with security forces.
One of the activists who was reportedly beaten during the reception told Ammon News that the embassy cadre and the Ambassador's security personnel insulted Jordan and beat the activists and 'drugged' them, according to his expression.
Dirar Khatatneh, a Ba'athist activist, said that the Iraqi TV channel that broadcasted the video clip 'intentionally muted the video to hide the insults made by the Iraqi cadre. He accused the TV channel of being backed by Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki's party.
Below is the video clip of the incident as broadcasted by Dijla Iraqi TV
AMMONNEWS - A video clip showing cadres of the Iraqi Embassy in Amman reportedly beating Jordanian Ba'athist activist during an embassy reception last week stirred hundreds of protesters to demonstrate in front of the Embassy in Amman on Monday, calling for expelling the Iraqi Ambassador from Jordan and reprimanding its cadres.
An edited video clip, broadcasted by an Iraqi TV channel and circulated on social networking sites, shows embassy cadres attacking Jordanian Ba'athist activists who walked into the function and chanted slogans against Iraqi President Nuri al-Maliki and in support of late Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein and his Ba'athist regime.
Among the Jordanian activists reportedly beaten by embassy staff and security was Ziyad Najdawi, a Jordanian Ba'athist and attorney who represented Saddam Hussein and was part of the late president's defense team. Najdawi reportedly sustained broken bones and was beaten badly.
The Jordanian Foreign Ministry on Monday asked the iraqi Embassy for clarification over what took place during the incident, a government source told Ammon News.
The source emphasized that the Ministry was dismayed at what took place during the incident, and noted that the Iraqi Embassy submitted an official complaint.
'Police will investigate the details of the incident, and will take stern measures against violators from either party when the results of the investigation are concluded,' the senior official said.
The incident occurred last Thursday at the Royal Cultural Center in Amman to commemorate what the Iraqi Embassy called 'Mass Graves in the Era of the Former Regime.'
Activists had claimed that Iraqi Ambassador Jawad Abbas was attacked during the incident.
Abbas denied in statements to Ammon News on Friday that he was attacked, saying that the event was held to mark what he described as 'the atrocities of Saddam's regime.'
The Ambassador said that scuffles occurred following the reception, adding that the group that stormed into the event was escorted out of the building and one of them was arrested.
Hundreds of protesters on Monday demonstrated in front of the Iraqi Embassy, mostly Ba'athist activists, protesting the attacks that took place during the reception.
The protesters chanted slogans in support of the 'revolutionaries in Al Anbar and Fallujah' in Iraq, the mainly Sunni tribal Western region of Iraq that has been witnessing ongoing tensions with security forces.
One of the activists who was reportedly beaten during the reception told Ammon News that the embassy cadre and the Ambassador's security personnel insulted Jordan and beat the activists and 'drugged' them, according to his expression.
Dirar Khatatneh, a Ba'athist activist, said that the Iraqi TV channel that broadcasted the video clip 'intentionally muted the video to hide the insults made by the Iraqi cadre. He accused the TV channel of being backed by Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki's party.
Below is the video clip of the incident as broadcasted by Dijla Iraqi TV
comments
Iraq Embassy beating of Jordanian activists stirs protest, investigation
comments