Jordan State of Emergency: Former UNWTO Secretary General Dr. Taleb Rifai says yes

Former UNWTO Secretary-General Dr. Taleb Rifai talked to eTurboNews from his home in Amman, Jordan. He acknowledged when asked about COVID-19:  ‘

  • Yes there is fear
  • Yes there is isolation
  • Yes there is panic
  • Yes there is sickness
  • Yes there is even death.

But in Jordan with 85 cases of COVID-19 and no deadly cases, uncertain times actually helped the country to find together and speak with one voice. Gone are protests addressing social challenging in the Kingdom.

Jordan is an Arab nation on the east bank of the Jordan River, is defined by ancient monuments, nature reserves, and seaside resorts. It’s home to the famed archaeological site of Petra, the Nabatean capital dating to around 300 B.C. Set in a narrow valley with tombs, temples, and monuments carved into the surrounding pink sandstone cliffs, Petra earns its nickname, the “Rose City.”

Coronavirus will be a challenge also for the Kingdom of Jordan, but the platform is now there that people can fight this invisible enemy together and united.

On March 17 the Jordanian government has declared a state of emergency as part of a series of measures to limit the spread of COVID-19.

On March 17, 2020, Jordan’s King Abdullah II issued a royal decree activating a 1992 law that grants the prime minister sweeping powers to curtail basic rights, but Prime Minister Omar Razzaz pledged to carry it out to the “narrowest extent” and stated that it would not impinge political rights, freedom of expression, or private property.

Jordan had only recorded 85 COVID-19 cases by March 20, but the government had already imposed a series of pre-emptive restrictions. It closed the kingdom’s land and air borders, took over 34 hotels to convert them into quarantine centers, banned crowds of 10 people or more, and closed public and private businesses and offices, with exceptions for health and essential services. The government did not impose a curfew but urged people not to leave their homes except in emergencies and to meet basic needs.

Under the Defense Law of 1992, the prime minister may declare a state of emergency in response to exceptional circumstances that threaten national security or public safety, including a pandemic. The law gives the prime minister the authority to suspend certain rights, including restrictions on freedom of expression and movement, and does not appear to have time limits.

The prime minister may issue orders restricting movement, preventing public meetings, and detaining anyone the government deems a threat to “national security or public order.” They can also confiscate any land or private and personal property, including money. The law also allows the government to monitor the content of newspapers, ads, and any other method of communication prior to publication, and to censor and shut down any outlet without justification. If an individual violates the Defense Law they can be sentenced to three years in prison, fined 3,000 Jordanian Dinars ($4,200), or both.

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The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), which Jordan ratified in 1975, allows countries to adopt exceptional and temporary restrictions on certain rights that would not otherwise be permitted “in times of public emergency which threatens the life of the nation.” But the measures must be only those “strictly required by the exigencies of the situation.” The Human Rights Committee, which interprets the covenant, has said that the situation would require states parties to “provide careful justification not only for their decision to proclaim a state of emergency but also for any specific measures based on such a proclamation.” The committee stressed that such measures “are of an exceptional and temporary nature and may only last as long as the life of the nation concerned is threatened.”

Certain basic human rights cannot be restricted even in times of emergency, Human Rights Watch said. These include the right to life, the prohibition of torture and ill-treatment, the prohibition of discrimination, and freedom of religion, as well as the right to a fair trial and freedom from arbitrary detention, and the right to judicial review of detention. It is strictly prohibited for any measures in effect during states of emergency to discriminate solely on the ground of race, color, sex, language, religion, or social origin.

In addition to restrictions imposed to prevent the spread of the virus, the government has also stated that it will consider measures to combat price gouging during the crisis. The government also announced the release of 480 administrative detainees, 1,200 detainees in pretrial detention, and postponed the imprisonment of those unable to pay off their debts, 3,081 people, to reduce the risk of infection in prisons. The government should free all detainees held in administrative detention and consider the temporary release of detainees held for non-violent crimes. The authorities should also ensure that those who remain in prison are kept insanitary conditions and able to access adequate health care, Human Rights Watch said.

About the author

Avatar of Juergen T Steinmetz

Juergen T Steinmetz

Juergen Thomas Steinmetz has continuously worked in the travel and tourism industry since he was a teenager in Germany (1977).
He founded eTurboNews in 1999 as the first online newsletter for the global travel tourism industry.

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