October 20, 1999
Mr. Seif al-Sharif
President
Jordan Press Association
Amman, The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan
Dear Mr. Sharif:
The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) strongly protests the recent decision by the Jordan Press Association (JPA) to expel journalists Abdullah Hasanat, editor-in-chief of the English-language daily Jordan Times,Sultan Hattab, a columnist for the daily Al-Rai,and Jihad Momani, a columnist for the daily Al-Dustour.
As you know, the JPA council, upon recommendation from its disciplinary committee, voted on Tuesday to expel the three journalists for violating the association’s bylaws, which prohibit “normalization” with Israel. The decision came in response to a September visit they made to Israel at the invitation of Haifa University’s Centre for Arab-Jewish Studies.
Having been expelled, each faces a possible ban on working as a journalist in accordance with Jordan’s Press and Publications Law (PPL) and the Jordan Press Association Law, which stipulate membership in the JPA as a condition for practicing journalism in Jordan.
According to recent reports in the Jordanian press, the JPA has indicated that the decision is not final. Your organization will apparently revisit the issue in two weeks for a final ruling.
Punishing journalists and preventing them from doing their jobs because of what they write or where they choose to travel is an unacceptable infringement of the most basic rights of free expression as guaranteed under international law. We are disheartened that the JPA, an organization that has presented itself as an advocate for journalists’ rights in Jordan, would seek to censor the very people it claims to defend.
This case highlights what in our view is the larger problem of mandatory membership for Jordanian journalists in the JPA. No institution or government should have the right to determine who may or may not practice journalism. Such powers only invite restrictions on the ability of the press to function freely.
CPJ, a non-governmental organization of journalists devoted to upholding press freedom worldwide, urges you to ensure that the expulsions of Abdullah Hasanat, Sultan Hattab, and Jihad Momani from the JPA are reversed immediately, so that they may practice their profession without future harassment from the JPA. We also call on you to advocate reform of Jordanian law, specifically the Press and Publications Law and the Jordan Press Association Law, to end the JPA membership requirement for Jordanian journalists.
I thank you for your attention to these urgent matters and look forward to your reply.
Sincerely,
Ann K. Cooper
Executive Director
Join CPJ in Protesting Attacks on the Press in Jordan
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Mr. Seif al-Sharif
President
Jordan Press Association
Amman, The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan