A Jordanian court has sentenced nine individuals to prison terms ranging from three to fifteen years in a terrorism case connected to the Muslim Brotherhood. The ruling marks a significant escalation in the government’s crackdown on the Islamist movement and its affiliated groups, which authorities have accused of attempting to destabilize the kingdom.
The latest convictions follow earlier verdicts in which four other defendants were handed 20-year prison sentences for possession of explosives, weapons, and ammunition. The group had allegedly plotted attacks aimed at undermining national security, spreading chaos, and carrying out acts of sabotage within Jordan.
According to officials, the defendants were part of a network that had been under investigation since April, when security forces arrested sixteen suspects and announced the disruption of plans targeting the country’s stability. Two of those convicted this week received 15 years of hard labour, while a third was sentenced to seven and a half years for manufacturing missiles. Four others received three years and four months of hard labour for engaging in activities deemed dangerous to public order and national security, while two more were handed similar sentences for related offences.
Authorities have not confirmed whether any of the convicted individuals were formal members of the Muslim Brotherhood. However, the case comes months after Jordan formally banned the movement’s activities, accusing it of manufacturing and storing weapons and of plotting to incite unrest.
The Muslim Brotherhood has had a longstanding presence in Jordan since its founding in 1945. It grew to become the country’s largest Islamist organization and a key player in national politics. In 2020, Jordan’s top court ordered the group’s dissolution, ruling that it had failed to renew its legal registration in accordance with a 2014 law. The Brotherhood rejected the decision, arguing that it was politically motivated. Despite the ban, the group continued operating relatively openly until the government imposed stricter measures earlier this year.
The Brotherhood’s political wing, the Islamic Action Front, remains Jordan’s largest opposition party. It holds significant influence in parliament, having secured 31 out of 138 seats in the 2024 general elections. The latest sentences underscore growing tensions between the government and Islamist factions amid ongoing efforts to tighten internal security and prevent extremist activities.
