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AMMAN — The Court of Cassation has upheld a March 2024 State Security Court (SSC) ruling, sentencing a drug dealer to four years in prison after convicting him of possessing illegal narcotics in Balqa governorate in November 2023.

The court declared the defendant guilty of obtaining illegal narcotics with the intent of selling the drugs to an undercover agent on November 17.

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 JD4,000 and the prison term to four years to give the defendant a second chance in life.

Court documents said the Anti-Narcotics Department (AND) learnt 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 seven Captagon pills in return for JD10,” court documents said.

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

The defendant did not contest his verdict at a higher court.

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 to sell in the local market,” the higher court said.

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

AMMAN — Foreign Ministry Secretary-General Majid Qatarneh on Tuesday received copies of the credentials of two newly appointed resident ambassadors to the Kingdom, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

Qatarneh received a copy of the credentials of Noor Huda Ahmad, the newly appointed Ambassador of Brunei Darussalam, as well as a copy of the credentials of James Ngango, the newly appointed Ambassador of Rwanda.

AMMAN — The Ministry of Agriculture on Tuesday reiterated its neutrality towards all traders applying to import lemons into the Kingdom, stressing that import licenses are issued based on transparent, fair standards that serve the public interest.

The ministry said it has granted 110 import permits to eligible traders, each allowing the import of 25 tonnes of lemons, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

An exception was made for the Jordanian-Palestinian Agricultural Products Marketing Company (JPACO), which received a permit to import 100 tonnes in order to support Palestinian farmers, the ministry added.

JPACO, a non-profit jointly owned by the governments of Jordan and Palestine, plays a key role in sustaining the agricultural sectors in both countries, the statement noted.

"The lemon shipment that is being imported comes with prior approval from the Palestinian Ministry of Agriculture and is sourced from a specific group of farmers in Qalqilya, whose names and farm locations are registered."

The ministry assured that the expected lemon supply will be sufficient to meet market demand, contributing to price stability in the coming days.

AMMAN — Representing HRH Prince El Hassan Bin Talal, former health minister Saad Jaber on Tuesday opened the regional conference “Between Scarred Landscapes and Safe Havens: Visualising the Future of Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) in the Middle East.”

Organised by the German Development Cooperation (GIZ), the two-day conference brought together policymakers, researchers, humanitarian workers, and mental health experts to examine the evolving role of MHPSS in a region marked by conflict, displacement, and economic hardship.

Jaber, who is also a member of the Board of Trustees at the Royal Hashemite Documentation Centre, called for greater investment in mental health, noting that only 3 per cent of Jordan’s total health expenditure is allocated to mental health services.

He also stressed that mental health is not only about survival, but also about restoring dignity and building societal stability. “In Jordan, over 70 per cent of primary health centres still lack mental health and psychosocial support services,” he said. “We need a shared framework, not scattered efforts.”

German Embassy Chargé d’Affaires Guido Kemmerling highlighted the importance of regional cooperation. “Today, over 2,000 professionals from across the region are gathering to share their experiences, helping reduce stigma and improve responses to violence and suicide,” he said.

"MHPSS initiatives across Jordan, Lebanon, Iraq, Turkey, and beyond have played a crucial role in reducing intercommunal tensions, supporting survivors of violence, and creating safe spaces where communities can reclaim agency over their lives," he added.

Since 2015, the GIZ Regional Project “MHPSS in the Middle East,”  commissioned by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), has worked to boost mental health systems in the region through community-based programming and cross-border knowledge sharing.

The conference also featured plenary sessions, panel discussions, and joint workshops aimed at scaling up MHPSS in fragile and conflict-affected contexts.

On the first day, Reem Abu Kishk, technical advisor to the regional MHPSS project, delivered a keynote presentation titled “The Journey of 10 Years of MHPSS in the Region”. Drawing on extensive field experience, she outlined the sector’s evolution from emergency response to long-term integration into development frameworks.

She also highlighted the growing demand for psychosocial support across the region, particularly amid ongoing displacement and socio-economic instability. “The stories of families we’ve worked with remind us why this work matters, and why mental health must no longer be an afterthought,” she said.

The conference participants also stressed that mental health must be placed at the centre of recovery strategies, not as a peripheral concern, but as a foundation for peace, resilience, and human dignity.

AMMAN — Jordan and Iraq on Tuesday discussed progress on the joint economic city project, with a focus on selecting a developer to begin construction as soon as possible.

Minister of Industry, Trade, and Supply Yarub Qudah and his Iraqi counterpart Khaled Battal reviewed areas of bilateral cooperation, particularly in the industrial sector, and explored ways to capitalise on the economic opportunities available to both countries.

The meeting, held on the sidelines of the Arab Economic and Social Development Summit in Baghdad, also addressed the need to accelerate efforts to boost trade exchange, resolve outstanding challenges, and encourage private sector investment in strategic projects, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

AMMAN — Foreign Ministry Secretary-General Majid Qatarneh on Monday participated in a meeting of the Working Committee stemming from the United Nations Conference on the Establishment of a Middle East Zone Free of Nuclear Weapons and Other Weapons of Mass Destruction.

The meeting, held in Amman, marked the first time the committee has convened outside the UN headquarters in New York, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

In his remarks, Qatarneh reiterated Jordan’s unwavering stance on the establishment of a nuclear weapons-free zone in the Middle East. “Our message is clear: the creation of a region free of nuclear weapons is not only a regional responsibility, but a shared international obligation that must be upheld in line with relevant UN resolutions,” he said.

He also reiterated Jordan’s full support for the UN-led process and its commitment to cooperating with all participating states to realise the conference’s common objectives.

The meeting was chaired by Permanent Representative of Morocco to the United Nations and President of the upcoming sixth session of the conference, Ambassador Omar Hilale.

Also in attendance was UN Under-Secretary-General and High Representative for Disarmament Affairs Izumi Nakamitsu.

The session was held as part of preparations for the sixth session of the conference, established under UN General Assembly Resolution 73/546 in 2018. The inaugural session was held in 2019 under Jordan’s presidency.

AMMAN — The closing conference of the "We Lead" project kicked off in Amman on Tuesday under the theme "Moving Forward – From Achievement to Sustainability," bringing together representatives from civil society organisations, government bodies, national councils, international partners, and youth activists working in sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR).

During the opening session, Executive Director of the Arab Network for Civic Education (ANHRE) Fotouh Younes said that the conference aims to showcase the project's key achievements throughout its implementation period (2021–2025) and to explore mechanisms for sustaining cross-sector cooperation to support health policies and services that meet the needs of women and girls in Jordan.

MENA Regional Director at Hivos Sarah Saleh said: "At Hivos, we believe that advancing gender equality demands bold and transformative strategies—strategies that centre women and youth and foster local ownership and innovation," according to a statement sent to The Jordan Times.

"The We Lead programme embodies this belief. In Jordan, we have seen rights holders take the actors lead in creating inclusive advocacy spaces, driving community-led initiatives, and building vital partnerships with civil society and government alike," she added.

Saleh noted that the conference is not simply a conclusion; it is a call to carry forward this momentum. A call to continue investing in rights holders’ leadership. 

Secretary-General of the Higher Council for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Muhannad Azzeh said that the issue of sexual and reproductive health for women and young women with disabilities in Jordan is surrounded by “significant” societal contradictions. 

It is often viewed as a non-priority topic that should not be openly discussed, Azzeh added.

He stressed that sexual and reproductive health is fundamentally linked to human existence and daily life in all its aspects, pointing out that reactions to addressing this topic are often negative due to low levels of awareness, and in some cases, it is even perceived as a societal taboo that cannot be openly discussed.

Dutch Ambassador to Jordan Harry Verweij highlighted the Kingdom’s leadership role in the field of SRHR.

"Over the past four years, I’ve had the honour of watching ‘We Lead’ grow from an ambitious idea into a movement that reached communities, changed conversations, and opened real space for young women to lead," Verweij said.

The diplomat described the adoption of Jordan's national SRHR strategy as a "milestone, placing Jordan among the champion countries in the region."

The two-day conference opened with an exhibition of achievements by 14 civil society organisations alongside side-panel discussions where partners shared project outcomes.

The second day of the conference will focus on strategies to sustain the project's legacy and ensure sustainable cooperation among stakeholders, the statement added.

Discussions will include recommendations from civil society, experts, and official bodies to enhance supportive SRHR policies and ensure effective partnerships continue despite local, regional, and global challenges.

The “We Lead” Project has been a transformative initiative dedicated to improving SRHR of young women, particularly those from marginalised communities. 

Over the past five years (2021-2025), “We Lead” has empowered young women through awareness raising and leadership development, fostering sustainable change in SRHR landscapes in community support, provided services and communication with policy makers, according to the statement.

The programme is implemented by a consortium led by Hivos, along with FCAM, FEMNET, Marsa, Positive Vibes, and Restless Development and funded by the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs as part of SRHR Partnership Fund.

In Jordan, the project was hosted by ANHRE, which works to promote human rights and civic education, contributing to the Sustainable Development Goals through community empowerment, advocacy, and lifelong learning at local, national, and regional levels, aiming for just and equitable societies, added the statement.