Hiba Abu Taha: Jailed Journalist Who Exposed Jordan’s Complicity With Israel

Jordanian journalist Hiba Abu Taha was arrested by Jordanian authorities from her house in Ain Al-Basha town near the capital Amman, in May 2024 for violating the Cybercrime Law that was enacted by the Jordanian government in August 2023, and came into effect in September 2023.

Abu Taha was arrested reportedly in response to an article and an investigative report she wrote which were published on Lebanese news site Annasher at the end of April. The article, titled: “Jordan’s role in defending the enemy entity”, addressed the interception of Iranian drones and rockets launched against Israel, by US, British and French aircrafts over the Jordanian airspace.

Her investigative report, titled “Partners in extermination: Jordanian capital owners involved in Gaza’s genocide” exposed Jordanian companies, which were transporting goods to Israel through the Jordanian territory during Israel’s genocidal aggression on Gaza. The shipment of goods from Jordan to Israel, commonly known as “the land bridge”, had already sparked the outrage of the Jordanian masses, activists, and political elites, a few months before Hiba was arrested. However, the Jordanian government dismissed reports about “the land bridge” more than once calling them allegations, and on other occasions, fabrications and “disgraceful attempts to tarnish Jordan’s position on the Israeli war on Gaza”.

Jordan’s controversial “Cybercrime Law”

One month after being arrested, Abu Taha was convicted of violating the Cybercrime Law and sentenced to one year in prison. The law has been widely criticized by international human rights and press freedom organizations, which accuse the Jordanian government of using it to repress journalists, activists, and any citizen that criticizes the government’s policies and practices online.

In a statement published on its website last August, Amnesty International condemned the enactment of the Cybercrime Law by the Jordanian government.

“The Jordanian authorities must repeal or substantially amend the Cybercrimes Law to bring it in line with international human rights law and standards. Criticism of the government’s policies and actions are legitimate forms of expression that should not be criminalized. Jordan must immediately drop all charges against individuals being investigated or prosecuted solely for the peaceful exercise of their right to freedom of expression,” the statement by Amnesty International reads.

Reporters Without Borders (RSF) also denounced the Cybercrime Law, and the arrest of Abu Taha in particular, labeling the incident as a “huge setback for press freedom” in Jordan. RSF also called on the Jordanian authorities to immediately release Abu Taha.

“This sentence constitutes a huge setback for press freedoms in the kingdom and threatens not only Hiba Abu Taha’s safety but also the safety of all reporters. RSF already sounded the alarm about the dangers posed by the new Cybercrime Law. It must be repealed at once, and Hiba Abu Taha’s conviction must be overturned,” the head of RSF’s Middle East Desk, Jonathan Dagher, stated.

For its part, Women Press Freedom (WPF), slammed the Jordanian authorities for arresting Hiba, describing the Cybercrime Law as “draconian”.

“It is deeply concerning that journalists in Jordan face such severe repercussions for their work, which is essential for transparency and accountability. We stand in solidarity with Hiba Abu Taha and all journalists who face threats and persecution for exposing the truth. The use of vague and broad legal terms to suppress critical reporting is unacceptable and must be challenged. We call on the Jordanian authorities to reverse this unjust sentence, repeal draconian laws that stifle free expression, and ensure a safe environment for journalists to carry out their vital work without fear of retribution,” WPF said in a statement.

It is worth noting that Hiba was the first journalist to be jailed under the Cybercrime Law, but not the last. In July 2024, prominent Jordanian satirical journalist Ahmad Hassan al-Zoubi was arrested and sentenced to one year in prison for writing a post on Facebook, in which he criticized the government’s position on the transportation workers’ strike that took place across Jordan in December 2022.

History of persecution by the Jordanian authorities

It is not the first time that Hiba Abu Taha has been subjected to persecution by the Jordanian authorities for expressing her opinion as a journalist or an activist.

In August 2023, she was arrested on charges of defaming an official body after she wrote a post on social media, criticizing Jordanian King Abdallah II, and accusing him of normalization with Israel. In March 2020, she was reportedly arrested on charges of slander and undermining the government, because of her statements in a previous interview with The Associated Press during a protest against the hike in gas and fuel prices in Jordan in 2012.

Legal perspective

Peoples Dispatch spoke to Hiba Abu Taha’s defense lawyer Rami Odat Allah to understand the legal ramifications of the charges against Abu Taha and her prison sentence.

Mr. Rami Odat Allah clarified that the imprisonment verdict against Hiba was based on two main charges in accordance with Jordan’s Cybercrime Law. One of the charges is “spreading false news, slandering, insulting or defaming a governmental authority or an official body,” while the second charge is “inciting discord and strife among members of society, targeting community peace, and inciting violence”.

Mr. Odat Allah explained that although Abu Taha was facing two charges, they were merged into one prison sentence for one year instead of two years, as per the applicable judicial proceedings, which stipulate that the most serious charge is to be considered when determining the penalty.

Regarding the latest updates on Hiba’s lawsuit, Mr. Odat Allah said that he already submitted a number of requests to substitute the prison sentence with other alternatives such as a travel ban, performing community service, or wearing an electronic bracelet that tracks Hiba’s movements within a specific area. However, the judge rejected all the requests, including the last one submitted on Monday, October 28.

Abu Taha’s lawyer was also asked whether she has faced another charge in October for publishing an investigative report on Jordanian hotels, which were hosting Israeli settlers during Israel’s genocidal war of Gaza. Mr. Rami stated that the lawsuit on the mentioned investigative report was a pending lawsuit filed against Hiba before she was arrested in May, and that the verdict was issued last September. Hiba was sentenced to a fine of 5000 Jordanian Dinars (which approximately equals USD 7,000) in that lawsuit.

Political context

While the prison sentence was given to Hiba in accordance with Jordan’s Cybercrime Law in Jordan, activists and political parties in Jordan perceive it as an arbitrary procedure aimed at repressing voices opposing or criticizing the government.

Her arrest and sentencing took place in a highly sensitive period, during which, the Jordanian government has been accused by the Jordanian masses of maintaining regional policies which are subordinated to the interests of Western countries led by the US, which have provided Israel with unlimited support.

The Jordanian Democratic Popular Unity Party (known in Jordan as Wihdah Party) issued a statement in June, denouncing Hiba’s imprisonment. The party considered Hiba’s investigative reports and articles as part of her right to freely express her political opposition, which is guaranteed in the Jordanian constitution. The party asserted that Hiba was practicing her professional and moral duty in accordance with the article in the constitution which stipulates that “the State shall guarantee freedom of opinion. Every Jordanian shall be free to express his opinion by speech, in writing, or by means of photographic representation and other forms of expression, provided that such does not violate the law.”

The party said that the decision to imprison Abu Taha, was made in “historical moments, during which Jordanian people and vivid political forces in all their sectors have demonstrated their support to the resistance of the Palestinian people against the Zionist occupation, and the genocidal crimes it has committed on a daily basis.”

Moreover, the party demanded that the Jordanian government “end ‘the land bridge’ and anything that would provide the enemy with what enhances its arrogance and criminality. The party also called on the government to end all relations and forms of normalization with the Zionist entity.”

The statement confirmed the party’s rejection of the Cybercrime Law, and all forms of restrictions, pressure and intimidation, calling for an immediate release of Abu Taha and all prisoners of conscience, who were arrested after demonstrating their support to the Palestinian people in Gaza. The party also insisted that the freedom of expression should be upheld for the Jordanian people entirely with regard to their committed national positions towards the struggle against the imperial Zionist projects that pose a threat to Jordan, Palestine, and the Arab nation.

International solidarity campaign

On Sunday, October 27, an online campaign titled “We stand in solidarity with Hiba Abu Taha” was launched by 24 media platforms, including Peoples Dispatch, in three languages: Arabic, English and Spanish.

The posters of the campaign included a joint statement which reads: “We, the media platforms, declare our support for journalist Hiba Abu Taha in Jordan, following the abuse she faced for publishing an investigative report exposing the compliance with the Zionist entity.

This comes amid the wave of attacks on journalists worldwide for their solidarity with the Palestinian cause and for exposing the crimes of the Zionist occupation, supported by the United States and allied and subordinate nations. It also exposes the international community’s failure and double standards regarding freedom of speech, over a year into the genocide in Palestine.

We demand an immediate release of the journalist Hiba Abu Taha and the removal of any restrictions on her ability to carry out her professional and solidarity work.”