Middle East News

Former Jordan minister referred to court for al-Jazeera interview

Nov 2, 2006, 11:47 GMT

Amman - A former chief of the Jordanian royal court, Adnan Abu Oudeh, has been referred by the public prosecutor to the State Security Court (SSC) for remarks he made in an interview with the Doha-based al-Jazeera satellite channel, according to judicial sources Thursday. Abu Oudeh, also a former information minister, was also summoned for interrogation by Amman's public prosecutor Sabr Rawashdeh on cases filed by citizens who accused him of 'sectarian incitement,' the sources said. In his interview with al-Jazeera, Abu Oudeh accused the government of discrimination against Jordanians of Palestinian origin. His remarks drew sharp reactions from some columnists, but the daily Alarab Alyawm on Thursday defended his right to present the outcome of his political career to the public. According to unofficial estimates, Jordanians of Palestinian origin represent more than 55 per cent of the kingdom's population of five million. The al-Jazeera network has been under fire from Jordanian officials as part of a row between Jordan and Qatar that culminated in Amman recalling its ambassador from Doha for consultations last month. Amman has been critical of Qatar's failure to support Jordan's candidate for the post of UN Secretary General, Prince Zeid bin Raad. © 2006 dpa - Deutsche Presse-Agentur

Middle East News

Former Jordan minister referred to court for al-Jazeera interview

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