Man sentenced to over 3 years for drug possession

AMMAN — The Court of Cassation has upheld a June State Security Court (SSC) ruling, sentencing a drug dealer to over three years in prison after convicting him of possessing illegal narcotics in Amman in February.

The court declared the defendant guilty of obtaining illegal narcotics (hashish) with the intent of selling the drugs to an undercover agent in Hashmi Shamali neighbourhood on February 26.

The SSC handed the defendant five years in prison for the offence of possessing illegal narcotics and ordered him to pay JD5,000 in fines.

However, the court decided to reduce the fine to JD3,000 and the prison term to three years and four months in prison to “give the defendant a second chance in life”.

Court documents said the Anti-Narcotics Department (AND) learned that the defendant was in possession of illegal narcotics and sent one of its agents to pose as a buyer.

“The AND agent got in touch with the defendant and asked him for a small stash of illegal drugs in return for JD20,” the court documents said.

When the two met, AND agents immediately arrested the suspect, the court papers added.

Upon searching the defendant, the court papers said, AND personnel “found a small quantity of illegal narcotics on him”. 

The defendant contested the SSC’s ruling through his lawyer, who argued that the court “did not provide solid evidence to implicate his client”.

The defendant also claimed that “he was subjected to torture and duress to sign a false confession”.

Meanwhile, the SSC prosecution office asked the higher court to uphold the sentence and the fine imposed on the defendant.

The higher court maintained that the SSC had followed the proper procedures in issuing the sentence against the defendant.

“It was clear to the court that the defendant confessed willingly to possessing the illegal drugs and the defence did not provide any evidence to prove that his client was subjected to any form of torture or duress,” the higher court said.

The Court of Cassation judges presiding were Mohammad Ibrahim, Majid Azab, Hayel Amr, Mohammad Sharaieri and Ibrahim Abu Shamma.