No updates on journalist detained in Dubai — JPA

AMMAN — The Jordan Press Association (JPA) said on Thursday it has not received any information about the whereabouts of journalist Tayseer Al Najjar, who was detained in Dubai in December.

"We sent a letter to the UAE Journalists Association, but we have not received a response yet," JPA President Tareq Momani told The Jordan Times over the phone.

"The Foreign Ministry in Jordan informed us that it was following up on the issue and I hope we will hear positive news soon," Momani said.

"Hopefully we will know the reason behind his detention and secure his release," he added.

The Foreign Ministry was not available for comment despite several attempts by The Jordan Times.

According to the JPA, Najjar was detained at the airport in Dubai as he headed back to Amman recently.

In a post on his Facebook timeline last week, journalist Walid Husni said Najjar, a member of the JPA and the Jordan Writers Association, was detained on December 13 last year in Dubai.

The detained journalist was not allowed to contact his family, Husni said, citing Najjar’s wife. 

Najjar’s family tried to contact the authorities in Dubai several times but to no avail, he added.

The detained journalist covers cultural news and has published several studies and research papers.