- Minimum prison terms under the Anti-Terrorism Law increase from 5 to 10 years, up to 15 years in select cases, or the death penalty.
- Convicts with multiple terrorism charges must serve consecutive sentences for each count rather than just the highest penalty.
- Prison years for terrorism convicts will now equal 12 months instead of 9, barring them from early release under Article 34.
- Effective Sunday, current terrorism convicts lose good-behavior sentence cuts and must serve full 12-month years.
- Mandatory post-sentence restrictions, such as electronic monitoring, tracking, and house arrest, will apply to all released terrorism convicts.
- Penalties for instigators, conspirators, and accomplices in terrorism cases are doubled.
- Penalties for hate speech and terrorism-related conduct are significantly increased.
- Parliament will receive the emergency bill within two weeks for review and passage.
- These measures form the first phase of a broader overhaul of Jordan's anti-terrorism laws.
Amman, Nov. 8 (Petra) - The Cabinet on Sunday approved amendments to a package of laws related to terrorism, intending to toughen penalties for those convicted of terrorism offenses and bolster national security and social stability.
Under the proposed amendments to the Anti-Terrorism Law, minimum prison sentences for terrorism offenses will be doubled from five to 10 years, and from 10 to 15 years in certain cases. Some offenses carry the death penalty.
The amendments will also require consecutive sentences for individuals convicted of multiple terrorism offenses, with each sentence calculated separately rather than applying only the longest sentence, as is currently the practice. The measure seeks to boost general and specific deterrence.
The proposed changes will also redefine a prison year for terrorism convicts as 12 months instead of nine, preventing them from benefiting from Article 34 of the Correction and Rehabilitation Centers Law, which allows inmates to be released after serving three-quarters of their sentences.
The government said the measure reflects the serious nature of terrorism offenses and the threats they pose to national security and social stability.
Effective Sunday, the government also decided to suspend the good-conduct exemption for individuals currently serving sentences for terrorism offenses. Until the relevant legislation is amended, a prison year for these inmates will count as 12 months rather than nine.
The amendments will further introduce mandatory precautionary measures for individuals convicted of terrorism offenses after they complete their prison sentences. The proposed measures will keep them under enhanced security supervision for a period determined by the court and may include electronic monitoring, close surveillance and house arrest, among other measures, to protect society from potential future threats.
Penalties will also be doubled for individuals who assist, incite or participate in terrorism offenses. The amendments will toughen penalties for hate speech and conduct related to terrorism, introducing longer prison terms intended to serve as a deterrent.
The Cabinet also granted the amendments urgent status, directing that they be referred to the House of Representatives within two weeks for discussion and approval in accordance with constitutional procedures.
The measures constitute the first phase of a broader government review of laws and legislation aimed at bolstering efforts to combat terrorism and extremism, reinforcing deterrence, and safeguarding national security and social stability.
//Petra// HA
