Jordan Resumes Death Penalty, Executing Six Convicted of Killing Security Personnel

On 21 June 2024, Jordan carried out the hanging of six men convicted of murdering security forces members. The executions marked the end of a nine-year moratorium on capital punishment. All six were executed by hanging at dawn, and the government indicated that further executions will continue “one by one.”

The Straits Times

Jordan’s death-penalty practice is limited to cases involving terrorism, armed robbery, or other serious violent crimes. The country’s last public hanging occurred in 2017, when 15 individuals were executed. A moratorium on executions was imposed in 2015 and remained in effect until the June 2024 executions, despite the legal framework that permits capital punishment.

The Straits Times

• Mahmud Nayef Musa and Anuar Adel Salé – convicted for killing six officers during an attack near the Fuheis Festival on 10 August 2018 and for a second bombing that injured six people.

Jordan breaks the moratorium and executes six prisoners

• Four suspects from the Salt raid – linked to an 11 August 2018 operation in Naqab al Dabur (Salt region) that resulted in four officer deaths.

Jordan breaks the moratorium and executes six prisoners

• Ibrahim Mansur – member of a group that attacked a police patrol in Ma’an in December 2022, leading to the death of a senior police officer.

Jordan breaks the moratorium and executes six prisoners

• Ihab Maher Kamal – sentenced for the murder of an Anti-Drug Department lieutenant in Irbid in November 2018.

Jordan breaks the moratorium and executes six prisoners

• Hamzé Mansur – convicted of drug trafficking and the killing of Corporal Husam Abadi during a 2014 police operation.

Jordan breaks the moratorium and executes six prisoners

• Jalid Asaf Fayed – a drug trafficker responsible for the shooting death of Sergeant Mohammad Salamé Saqarat in a 2017 Zarqa police operation.

Jordan breaks the moratorium and executes six prisoners

• Six inmates executed.

Jordan breaks the moratorium and executes six prisoners

• Ten security personnel killed across the cases.

The Straits Times

• More than 100 individuals remain on Jordan’s death row.

The Straits Times

• Executions resumed after a nine-year pause; the last mass hanging was in 2017.

The Straits Times

Government spokesman Mohammad Momani framed the executions as a delivery of justice for fallen officers and emphasized that the death penalty will be applied only in “terrorism and criminal cases” involving the loss of security personnel. He noted that the state will continue to carry out sentences individually, reflecting a controlled approach to capital punishment.

The Straits Times

• “We have carried out the execution of six men convicted of the murder of ten officers in two terrorism cases and three drug trafficking cases,” — Mohammad Momani, Government Spokesman

Jordan breaks the moratorium and executes six prisoners

• “Government spokesman Mohammad Momani said in a statement that the men had been convicted in “terrorism and criminal cases” that led to the deaths and injuries of police officers and soldiers.” — Mohammad Momani, Government Spokesman

The Straits Times

• “He added that the sentences were carried out to deliver justice “for those who died protecting” the country.” — Mohammad Momani, Government Spokesman

The Straits Times

The resumption signals Jordan’s willingness to employ the death penalty as a deterrent against terrorism and organized crime. International human-rights observers have historically called for a moratorium; the executions may affect Jordan’s diplomatic relations and its standing in global human-rights assessments. Domestically, the government presents the actions as a response to public demand for accountability for attacks on security forces.

The Straits Times

Sources agree on the number of executed inmates and the total officer deaths, but they do not provide an exact count of individuals currently on death row, only indicating “more than 100.” No external criticism or opposition statements are included in the available reports.

The Straits Times

Jordan’s officials have indicated that additional death-row inmates will be executed sequentially. The government has not announced a timeline for future executions, leaving the pace and scope of capital punishment implementation uncertain.

The Straits Times