No decision yet by UJ on campus violence incidents

AMMAN — The disciplinary council at the University of Jordan (UJ) has not yet announced its decision regarding the recent campus violence incidents, with expectations for the decision to be issued on Thursday, a university official said Tuesday.

The university’s media director, Suleiman Farajat, told The Jordan Times that the university has not released any official investigation results so far, as the disciplinary council is still working on the issue.

On Tuesday, some local media outlets circulated news that the university’s administration has suspended 18 UJ students in connection with the violent incident, which took place late November.  

“No suspension decisions against violators have been issued yet,” Farajat noted.

In a statement issued also on Tuesday, the UJ administration said it will officially publish the disciplinary council’s decision once issued, urging news websites not to circulate any reports without verification.

Meanwhile, the university’s gates witnessed intensified presence of police on Tuesday, according to eyewitnesses.

UJ’s disciplinary council started almost a week ago reviewing recommendations of the university’s investigation committees that looked into the incidents.

The council will consider the recommendations of the committees, but will give students that were detained by security agencies during the investigation period the chance to defend themselves, Farajat said in previous remarks.

Meanwhile, he said the probe’s findings proved the involvement of “around 20 or more students” and staff members in the incident, citing “great pressure” on the university’s administration to impose penalties.

He stressed the university’s keenness on implementing laws firmly but also the need to make the right decisions.

UJ suspended classes on November 24 as a group of people, estimated to be around 200 individuals, stormed into campus in an act connected to a previous incident on campus in the same week. Some of them were carrying sticks and cleavers, according to eyewitnesses.