Jordan hands down sentences to convicts involved in weapons manufacturing

Amman, Oct 8 (IANS) Jordan's State Security Court on Wednesday handed down verdicts against several defendants convicted in cases involving weapons manufacturing and recruiting young men for illegal activities, the state-run Petra news agency reported.

In the most serious case, two men, Abdullah Hisham and Muath Ghanem, were sentenced to 15 years of hard labour and fined for manufacturing short-range missiles for illegal use, while a third defendant, Mohsen Ghanem, received a seven-and-a-half-year sentence and was fined for complicity, Xinhua news agency reported.

The three-member group established two warehouses in Zarqa Governorate and Amman, allegedly received training and funding from abroad, and produced a short-range missile.

The court also sentenced Marwan Hawamdeh and Anas Abu Awad to three years and four months of hard labour for endangering public order, safety, and security, in violation of the Anti-Terrorism Law.

The two defendants travelled to regional countries and worked with external parties to recruit young men in the kingdom, using secret communication channels, acting on instructions from abroad, and identifying safe locations to store materials.

In the third case, Khader Abdulaziz, Ayman Ajawi, Mohammed Saleh, and Farouk Salman were sentenced to three years and four months of hard labour for their involvement in illegally training recruits through advanced courses and security instruction at multiple locations to prepare them for future operational tasks.

Authorities said the cases were uncovered in April. The State Security Court's decisions are subject to appeal before the Court of Cassation, according to Petra.

--IANS

int/dan