Media advocates demand immediate release of pro-Palestine reporter in Jordan
Arab groups and media advocacy organizations have called for the immediate release of pro-Palestine journalist Mohammad Faraj, whom Jordanian authorities detained earlier this week without providing any explanation for the reasons for his arrest or information about his whereabouts.
The General Secretariat of the Arab National Congress expressed its deep concern over the detention of Faraj, a well-known media figure and member of the congress, following his return from Beirut to Amman. It emphasized that the reasons behind his arrest remain unclear.
The secretariat urged concerned Jordanian officials to release Faraj, allowing him to reunite with his family. It emphasized that the journalist, who works for the Lebanese al-Mayadeen television news channel, has fulfilled his media and political duties with responsibility and dedication, and advocated for Arab causes and aspirations.
The Samidoun Network for the Defense of Prisoners also strongly condemned the detention, terming the action as a blatant violation of constitutional and legal principles, as well as an affront to the dignity of journalism and its essential role in truth-telling.
The network further emphasized that the arrest is part of wider efforts to suppress voices of dissent and undermine independent media.
Samidoun called for the immediate release of Faraj, urging authorities to reveal his whereabouts and current condition. It also stressed the importance of granting his family and lawyer access to him.
Additionally, Saeed Thiab, chairman of the Democratic Popular Unity Party, stated that the arrest signals a decline in public freedoms and heightened pressure on Arab personalities.
He called on the Jordanian government to heed the demands of the public, alongside political and media elites, for Faraj’s release, lambasting the lack of any clear justification for his detention.
The International Union for Electronic Press and Media also urged the Jordanian government to release Faraj. The organization stated that it had reviewed the journalist’s media-related activities and found no violations of Jordanian law.
It called on the United Nations to implement stronger legal safeguards for journalists and media professionals.
Faraj was arrested after returning to Jordan on vacation with his wife, fellow journalist Rana Abi Jumaa.
The couple arrived at Queen Alia International Airport in Amman last Friday, where Faraj was stopped by Jordanian officials upon entry.
He was subjected to a thorough search and interrogation and then taken to an undisclosed location.
The detention takes place amid Jordan maintaining its official diplomatic and security collaboration with Israel, while Tel Aviv tightens its control over the occupied West Bank.
The regime also continues to repeatedly breach the November 2024 ceasefire agreement and maintains its occupation of five sites in southern Lebanon.