Jordan students accused of ‘devil worship’ acquitted

Amman: A Jordanian military tribunal acquitted five university students of incitement charges on Sunday levelled over accusations they had engaged in “devil worship” and desecrated the Quran, a court official said.

“The court declared the students innocent and ordered them freed for lack of evidence,” the official told AFP, without elaborating.

The students from Al Al Bayt University in northeastern Jordan were detained in March and charged with “doctrinal and sectarian incitement.”

Human Rights Watch has said the students were assaulted by a crowd of other students before their arrest.

Other students have alleged the five ripped and burned a manuscript of the holy book and threw it in the toilet while performing a “religious ritual,” according to the New York-based watchdog.

Incitement is punishable by up to three years in jail in Jordan.