Topic:
Country: Jordan
Delegate Name: Hadley Abrutyn
The country of Jordan remains one of the few states who still has the death penalty in place. It was reinstated in 2014 to combat the recent rise in crime. Jordan had a moratorium put in place from 2006-2014, which ended with the hanging of 11 men. All were convicted with murder charges between 2005-2006. Jordan officials faced a difficult decision when deciding the fate of a rape case, in which they had to bend to the will of the public, as the public opinion is the most powerful factor with regards to the death penalty. No death penalties are carried out without the endorsement of the King, King Abdullah II.
The country of Jordan is interested in working internally with the public, the Amman Center for Human Rights Studies (ACHRS) and The Jordanian Coalition Against the Death Penalty (JCADP) to find a common resolution while still upholding our governmental values. In the aftermath of the Arab Spring, many countries in the MENA region, including Jordan, changed their stance with regards to human rights by reinstating the practice of the death penalty. In spite of a decrease in the total number of executions in Jordan, there has been a significant increase in the total number of countries practicing capital punishment in the MENA region, according to a report by ACHRS produced in 2014.
The country of Jordan believes that capital punishment is a necessary implementation in order to maintain the safety and security. The country of Jordan is not fully opposed to the idea of abolition of the death penalty, provided there be exceptions in place for convictions of violations of human rights and terrorism. Jordan believes that a moratorium on the death penalty would not be appropriate in an instance where war is happening, and war crimes are committed. Jordan has the death penalty in place as a safeguard to deter crimes, and as a form of punishment for the most severe crimes. We are willing to work with other members of the human rights committee to find a suitable solution that complies with our needs.
