Jordanian security forces arrested famed satirical journalist Ahmad Hassan al-Zoubi late on Tuesday as he was commuting with his wife and children in Ar-Ramtha city, enacting a court order issued against him 11 months ago.
Al-Zoubi, the editor of the news siteSawaleif, was sentenced in August 2023 to one year in prison and handed a fine after the court accused him of provoking "sectarian strife" via a Facebook post which criticised the state's response to widespread protests over fuel prices in late 2022.
Al-Zoubi was initially sentenced to two months in jail but a public prosecution appeal resulted in a harsher punishment of one year imprisonment and a fine.
The arrest prompted Jordanian civil society and rights groups to issue statements condemning what they portrayed as a clampdown on freedom of expression in the country.
A statement issued by the National Freedom Forum, an initiative by Jordanian lawyers providing legal aid for political activists, condemned Tuesday's arrest.
"A year of imprisonment not for a crime he committed or a sin he did but because he was a loud voice and an honest conscience of Jordanians," the statement said.
The body added that Al-Zoubi was not guaranteed a fair trial as his defence team was denied a face-to-face hearing during the appeal stage. They added that he was deprived of another trial after the minister of justice refused to present the case to the Court of Cassation.
The group said it was mourning "the loss of freedoms and the right to express opinions", adding that his imprisonment was merely a "continuation of a long series of restrictions on freedoms and systematic practices [against freedom of expression]".
Many took to social media to voice their support for Al-Zoubi, whose name trended on Twitter on Wednesday.
Jordanian activist Alaa Abu Tarboush wrote on his Facebook page: "I congratulate my friend Ahmad Hasan Al-Zoubi on this arrest."
Journalist Bilal Al-Aqayleh, a member of the Journalists' Syndicate Council, wrote on Facebook: "We reject this step and demand the immediate release of our colleague Al-Zoubi. We call for calming tensions and not infringing on the journalistic and media freedoms of journalists."
Jordan has come under scrutiny for the recent cybercrime law, which critics said severely endangers freedom of speech and digital liberties within the country.
The law criminalises "character assassination" and "immoral" behaviour online, among other things.
In December 2022, the authorities suspended the use of TikTok during protests prompted by fuel prices, warning against disseminating coverage seen as "promoting hate".
