Jordanian national charged with terrorism over stabbing of tourists
A Jordanian court on Sunday levelled “terrorism” charges against a man suspected of wounding eight people in a knife attack at a popular tourist site this past November, AFP reported.
The suspect, Moustafa Abourouis, 22, faces up to 20 years in prison after the stabbing of three Mexicans, a Swiss woman, a Jordanian tour guide and a security officer at the Roman city of Jerash on November 6, 2019.
At a hearing open to the press, prosecutors accused Abourouis of committing a “terrorist act” and “promoting the ideas of a terrorist group” – a reference to the Islamic State (ISIS) group.
Abourouis, who is of Palestinian Arab origins and grew up in the “Palestinian refugee” camp of Souf, was arrested immediately after the attack at Jerash, located about 50 kilometers (30 miles) north of Amman.
The Jordanian prosecutor accused Abourouis of trying to join ISIS, an operative of which in Syria had “ordered him to commit attacks against foreigners”.
Two alleged accomplices, also Jordanians of Palestinian origin, were charged with “terrorism” in the same case. All three pleaded not guilty, according to AFP.
Jordan has been targeted by several terrorist attacks in recent years, particularly since it became a leading member of the US-led coalition fighting ISIS in Iraq and Syria.
In 2016, a shooting attack in Karak killed seven policemen and two Jordanian civilians as well as a female Canadian tourist, and wounded 34 other people.
A Jordanian court in 2018 sentenced 10 people to prison terms of between three years and life in connection with the attack which was claimed by ISIS>
At least 100 detainees have been sentenced to death in Jordan in recent years, many on charges related to membership in Islamist groups.
In November of 2017, a court in Amman jailed a Jordanian man for 10 years for plotting attacks on behalf of ISIS against an air base used by the coalition fighting the jihadists.
In August that year, Jordan busted a terrorist cell made up of ISIS supporters in the town of Salt, northwest of Amman.
A month later, a Jordanian court sentenced an alleged member of ISIS to 20 years of hard labor for a 2016 attack on security forces.
Source: INN
