Amman: Jordan on Monday charged a top member of the Muslim Brotherhood with “souring ties with a foreign country” by criticising the UAE after it designated his group as a terrorist organisation.
Zaki Bani Rushaid, deputy leader of the Jordanian branch of the Brotherhood, was arrested last month after making anti-UAE comments on social media.
The arrest of Bani Rushaid, initially held for 15 days pending investigation over charges which carry a minimum prison term of three years, is the first such detention of a senior opposition politician in Jordan in recent years.
Bani Rushaid’s remarks followed the UAE’s move last month to designate as “terrorist” around 80 Islamist groups and charities that the Gulf state views as a security threat.
Compared with the tough crackdowns on Islamist groups in Egypt and Gulf countries, Jordanian authorities have been relatively tolerant of the Brotherhood’s presence.
Jordan has, however, arrested several members of the group in recent months for publicly criticising the government for not taking stronger measures to censure Israel after the Gaza war earlier this year.
Jordan’s Muslim Brotherhood is the country’s biggest opposition party, has operated legally for decades and has substantial grassroots support.
A judicial source said he expected a trial soon but gave no date. Jordanian authorities said Bani Rushaid’s comments could have jeopardised tens of thousands of Jordanian expatriates employed in the UAE, who could have faced retaliatory measures.
