By Randa Darwish
Jordanians woke up last Friday to news of a man who died under torture while in detention at one of the police stations in Amman. The victim was later identified as 40 year old Ibrahim Ahmed Zahran.
Earlier on Saturday, the victim’s family confirmed their son died after being violently tortured in detention, while the state-run Petra news agency reported that Zahran was taken to the nearest hospital after hitting his head, but he died immediately.
Zahran’s family claims prompted the Public Security director to launch a probe into his death. Five police officers have suspected to be involved in the crime were arrested shortly after.
Meanwhile, the Jordanian government coordinator for human rights, Basil Tarawneh confirmed that his office is following up on the incident that is being taken “very seriously” by the investigation committee held particularly for this purpose.
Reactions to torture-related news are often intense among Jordanians. This time protests across the country and expectations related to the newly-appointed PM seem to have diverted attention.
On social media, activists called for people to step up and press authorities to accurately investigate without masking any facts.
Abu Hawash tweeted questioning the shocking silence on such case without any media covering.
Translation: “I am still wondering how come such case of death under torture can fade without any noise! Even in a country where such cases are uncommon like Syria and Egypt! What are the control tools used? What form of collective consciousness among people that would let such news pass without getting any attention!”
Aroub Soubh, the Jordanian human rights activist responded assuring what Abu Hawash said:
Translation: “But what makes the collective consciousness of people condemn an absurd bullying incident and remain silent on such a crime or the Aqaba silos crime? Is it because people feel that the critic will exceed the boundaries set for them by themselves! People’s silence on such crimes makes their reactions on the smaller incidents exaggerated, to seem as they are avenging their silence.”
She referred to the Aqaba silo explosion, in which six workers died during demolition work without requiring safety measures by companies who carries out the demolition works in accordance with their contracts and the law.
Ali Tamimi also expressed his shock of the increase in number of deaths under torture in Jordan:
Translation: “It is frightening how such death incidents under torture became common recently! What is more frightening is that such news does not grab news headlines in media! Those are people who live the last moments of their lives under physical and verbal abuse and pain, and they die because they lost the ability to stand the pain!”
While some people were trying to justify killing criminals under torture raising questions over the victim’s charges that might led the police to kill him, Rahma Khalil tweeted:
Translation: “To people who are asking questions over the victim’s charge, you look exactly as someone who is asking a rape victim girl what she was wearing [to justify the crime]. What is the point behind your question? Is there any charge that might justify this violation? Or you only aim to distort the focus and let it be on the police officers who are corrupted against people as usual?”
The lawyer and human rights defender, Hala Deeb, tweeted urging for a reliable investigation that involves independent parties rather than a police court.
Translation: “Regardless of the actions taken by the public security to investigate the victim’s death under torture and all actions that might be carried out against the involved criminals, measures will remain inadequate until an independent entities are involved in the investigation and the perpetrators are transferred to a civil court not a police court and until the victim’s family’s right to compensate is recognized.”
In 2017, Jordan’s National Center For Human Rights (NCHR) released a report on allegations of torture and mistreatment filed against security departments in Jordan during 2016. The report indicated 63 cases were filed during that time, and among the many other torture cases reported during the last six years, only three cases were referred to the Police Court in compliance with the Penal Code.
