Man sentenced to 20 years in prison for murder

AMMAN — The Court of Cassation has upheld an October 2023 Criminal Court ruling sentencing a man to 20 years in prison after convicting him of murdering a man in Amman in February of last year.  

The court declared the defendant guilty of stabbing the 21-year-old man once in the chest following a heated argument in Qweismeh on February 4. 

Court papers said the defendant and the victim had old feuds over a vehicle that belonged to the defendant. 

On the day of the incident, the court maintained, the victim saw the defendant walking in the street so he stopped him to discuss the matter. 

“An argument ensued between the two and the two fought but the defendant grabbed a switchblade and stabbed the victim once in the chest,” court papers said. 

The young man was rushed to a nearby doctor’s clinic by his friends but was declared dead on arrival, the court maintained. 

The defendant was later arrested by police and “confessed to the stabbing incident,” the court added. 

The Criminal Court relied on DNA tests collected from the victim's body which matched the defendant’s DNA, according to court transcripts. 

The defendant contested his verdict at a higher court claiming that there were illegal investigation procedures conducted by the team of investigators.

Meanwhile, the Criminal Court’s general attorney asked the Court of Cassation to uphold the ruling.

The higher court ruled that the Criminal Court followed the proper procedure when sentencing and the defendant deserved the verdict he received.  

The Court of Cassation judges were Mahmoud Ebtoush, Rizeq Abulfool, Ibrahim Abu Shamma, Qassem Dughmi, and Majid Rafaya.