Press freedom group harassed in Jordan
The head of a Jordanian trade regulatory body on September 10, 2017, publically accused a regional press freedom group, the Center for Defending Freedom of Journalists (CDFJ), of failing to properly register as a non-profit organization, and referred the case to Jordan’s attorney general who can then begin legal processes against the group that could…
Mission Journal: Rise in journalist arrests tarnishes Jordan’s image as reformist
The phone call came just as our conversation about the escalating crackdown on Jordanian media hit its stride. Lina Ejeilat, the co-founder of the news website 7iber (pronounced hebber), apologized and said she had to take the call. It was 7iber’s lawyer and it was important. For years the website had fought against a requirement…
Jordan’s free press record dims with website restrictions
Jordan’s press freedom climate, once a shining light in the Middle East, has quickly deteriorated as journalists grapple with last year’s government ban on nearly 300 news websites. Press freedom groups are documenting a rise in self-censorship and an increase in criminal cases against journalists. Local online news editors and journalists are complaining of economic…