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AMMAN — The Court of Cassation has upheld a March Criminal Court ruling, sentencing a man to 12 years in prison after convicting him of attempting to murder a man with a baseball bat in Amman in November 2023.

The Criminal Court declared the defendant, a cleaning worker, guilty of attempting to murder a man who was visiting a public park in the Marj Hammam area on November 11.

The defendant was given the maximum sentence.

Court papers said the victim was at the park where the defendant worked.

"An argument ensued between the two and the defendant grabbed a baseball bat and struck the victim once in the head," court documents said.

The defendant then fled from the area and was arrested later by police, the court papers stated.

Meanwhile, the victim was rushed to a nearby hospital suffering from a brain haemorrhage and survived the attack due to medical intervention, according to court documents.

The defendant contested his ruling via his lawyer arguing that “there were legal irregularities during the investigation process”.

The defence also argued that the court relied on contradictory statements by some witnesses.

The Criminal Court’s attorney general asked the higher court to uphold the 12-year sentence ruling.

The higher court ruled that the Criminal Court proceedings were accurate and that the defendant was given the appropriate punishment.

The Cassation Court bench comprised judges Mahmoud Ebtoush, Nayef Samarat, Qassem Dughmi, Mohammad Khashashneh and Hammad Ghzawi.

• Two leaders reaffirm support for Palestinians’ legitimate rights, establishment of independent state on pre-1967 borders
• King, Sisi stress need for Arab, int’l efforts to maintain ceasefire in Gaza

AMMAN — His Majesty King Abdullah and Egypt President Abdel Fattah Al Sisi, in a phone call on Tuesday, agreed to maintain close coordination on various regional developments, foremost of which is the Palestinian cause.

The two leaders reaffirmed their support for the Palestinian people’s pursuit of their legitimate rights, and the establishment of their independent, sovereign state on the 4 June 1967 lines with East Jerusalem as its capital, on the basis of the two-state solution, according to a Royal Court statement.

The two leaders also stressed the need to step up Arab and international efforts to maintain the Gaza ceasefire as the first step towards bringing calm to the region.

The call also covered the situation in Syria and Lebanon, the statement added.

AMMAN — HRH Princess Ghida Talal, chairperson of the Board of Trustees of the King Hussein Cancer Foundation (KHCF) and Centre (KHCC), on Tuesday launched a nationwide awareness campaign titled “50 Percent is Your Decision” to mark World Cancer Day, observed annually on February 4.

Princess Ghida reaffirmed Jordan’s unwavering commitment to the fight against cancer, saying, “We will continue to challenge and fight cancer every day, every hour, and every moment of our lives until the day comes when we overcome it, God willing.”

The month-long campaign aims to raise awareness about lifestyle choices that significantly reduce cancer risk, focusing on quitting smoking, regular physical activity, mental well-being and a healthy diet, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported. 

As part of the initiative, an awareness event was held at the King Hussein Cancer Centre, bringing together patients, their families, and medical staff to reinforce the campaign’s message and encourage proactive health measures.

AMMAN, GAZA — As part of Jordan's ongoing efforts to deliver aid to the Gaza Strip, 14 helicopters departed from King Abdullah II Air Base on Tuesday, transporting critical supplies as part of the air bridge established last week.

The aircraft carried 15 tonnes of humanitarian and relief supplies, in cooperation with the Jordan Hashemite Charity Organisation and several partner countries, bringing total aid to about 100 tonnes that were ferried to the Kosovim site in Gaza's Al Qarara area and delivered to those in need in the Strip, according to a Jordan Armed Forces–Arab Army (JAF) statement.

The JAF reiterated its commitment to continuing the delivery of humanitarian and medical aid through the air bridge, expediting the transport of critical supplies, particularly medical treatments and equipment, to Gaza.

Since the launch of the air bridge, 86 Jordanian aircraft, alongside 9 Italian helicopters, have contributed to this vital operation, demonstrating international cooperation in response to the crisis.

The Jordan Times accompanied the Royal Jordanian Air Force (RJAF) on this mission, providing a firsthand look at the operation and the efforts involved.

The operation began at precisely 10:13am when the Black Hawk helicopters took off, carrying a crew of six: four from RJAF and two from the JAF Special Forces.

As the helicopters soared over the landscape, the personnel onboard were focused on the important task ahead—delivering essential supplies to Gaza.

After one hour of flight, the helicopters made a refuelling stop at Ghor Assafi at 11:00 am. This brief pause allowed the helicopters to ensure they were prepared for the rest of the journey ahead.

The team remained in high spirits, knowing that each step was bringing them closer to providing much-needed relief to those in Gaza.

By 12:00 pm, the helicopters had arrived at the Kosovim site in Gaza’s Al-Qarara area, where they successfully delivered the humanitarian aid.

The site was abuzz with activity as the supplies were offloaded and quickly distributed to those in need.

Following the successful delivery, the helicopters made their way back for another refuelling stop before continuing their return journey to King Abdullah II Air Base, arriving at 13:44 pm.

AMMAN — The Court of Cassation has upheld a July 2023 State Security Court (SSC) ruling sentencing two men to prison terms ranging from eight to 15 prison after convicting them of possessing and trafficking illegal narcotics in Amman in 2022.

The court declared the defendants guilty of possessing and trafficking Captagon pills and Hashish in Amman.

The defendants received 15-year and eight-year prison terms respectively.

They were ordered to pay JD16,000 fines in total.

Court documents said the Anti-Narcotics Department (AND) learnt that the defendants possessed illegal narcotics to sell in the local market.

They two were placed under surveillance and were arrested at one of the defendants’ homes, the court added.

Upon searching the house, the court maintained, police found 2,600 Captagon pills and over five kilogrammes of hashish, according to court documents.

The defendants contested the SSC’s ruling through their lawyers arguing that there were irregularities with the investigation procedures.

They also claimed that they were subjected to torture and duress to confess.

Meanwhile, the SSC prosecution office asked the higher court to uphold the sentences and the fines imposed on the defendants.

The higher court maintained that the SSC had followed the proper procedures in issuing the sentences against the defendants.

“It was clear to the court that the defendants confessed willingly to possessing and trafficking the illegal drugs,” the higher court said.

The higher court also ruled that the defendants did not provide any proof that they were subjected to any form of torture or duress.

The Cassation Court bench comprised judges Yassin Abdullat, Nayef Samarat, Hammad Ghzawi, Qassem Dughmi and Mohammad Khashashneh.

AMMAN — HRH Princess Ghida Talal, Chairperson of the Board of Trustees of the King Hussein Cancer Foundation (KHCF) and Centre (KHCC), on Tuesday launched a nationwide awareness campaign titled "50 Percent is Your Decision" to mark World Cancer Day, observed annually on February 4.

Princess Ghida reaffirmed Jordan’s unwavering commitment to the fight against cancer, saying, "We will continue to challenge and fight cancer every day, every hour, and every moment of our lives until the day comes when we overcome it, God willing."

The month-long campaign aims to raise awareness about lifestyle choices that significantly reduce cancer risk, focusing on quitting smoking, regular physical activity, mental well-being and a healthy diet, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported. 

As part of the initiative, an awareness event was held at the King Hussein Cancer Centre, bringing together patients, their families, and medical staff to reinforce the campaign’s message and encourage proactive health measures.

AMMAN — Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Nancy Namrouqa on Tuesday met with Qatari Minister of State for International Cooperation Mariam Bint Ali Bin Nasser Al Misnad to discuss strengthening bilateral cooperation in humanitarian and development sectors.

The two ministers also went over mutual efforts to deliver "sufficient" and "sustainable" humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip, according to a Foreign Ministry statement.

AMMAN — The Lower House Palestine Committee held a meeting Tuesday, headed by MP Suleiman Saud, to discuss the role of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) in providing its services to Palestinian refugees.

During the meeting, attended by Deputy Director for Operations at UNRWA Olaf Baker, Saud highlighted Jordan's commitment to protecting Jerusalem's Islamic and Christian sanctities, based on the Hashemite custodianship over these holy sites, noting the diplomatic efforts led by His Majesty King Abdullah to support the Palestinian cause and the necessity of continuing to support UNRWA.

In a committee statement, Saud voiced Jordan's rejection of the decision of the Israeli Knesset to stop UNRWA's operations, as it is the "true" testimony to the rights of the Palestinian people, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

The MP added that Jordan is leading international efforts to fund UNRWA on an ongoing basis, stressing that the Kingdom rejects the idea of displacing Palestinians from their lands under any pretext.

Director General of the Department of Palestinian Affairs (DPA) Rafiq Khirfan reviewed the Kingdom's efforts in supporting the Palestinian people, saying that Jordan was the "first" country to support UNRWA to help address its financial crisis.

Khirfan noted the Jordanian government continues to support the agency in facing its repeated financial crises, especially after a number of countries suspended its funding.

Baker said that the agency and Jordan have a "shared" stance, calling on the international community to assume responsibility and provide the "necessary" support to UNRWA to continue its role.

Also on Tuesday, the Lower House's Foreign Affairs Committee said that Jordan is exerting efforts to maintain the UNRWA and warned against suspending its services.

During a meeting with Baker, attended by Kharfan, Head of the Committee MP Dina Basheer said that Jordan is making efforts to stop Israel's ban on UNRWA, which will have serious repercussions on the region.

She noted the Arab League Council held an extraordinary session at Jordan's request, in coordination with Palestine and Egypt, to counter the decision to ban UNRWA, and called on donor countries to meet their obligations towards the refugee agency.

She also referred to an initiative of joint commitment towards UNRWA by Jordan, Kuwait and Slovenia.

Basheer also highlighted His Majesty King Abdullah's efforts in supporting the refugee agency and putting the focus on the Palestinian issue, reiterating Jordan's rejection of the suspension of the agency's operations in Palestine and warning that defunding it is a breach of international and humanitarian standards.

The House believes that banning UNRWA's work will increase chaos in the region, she said, adding that Jordan is coordinating with donor nations to continue providing aid to refugees.

She also said that the UNRWA provides services to people in 13 refugee camps in Jordan, warning that a suspension of its operations would increase the burden on the Kingdom and put pressure on its resources.

Baker commended Jordan's support of UNRWA, by all means, to carry out its task of serving refugees.