Jordanian law threatens freedom of press

Protestors denounced the governmental insistence on the amended Publications Act Amman – Osama Al Rantissi Head of Jordanian Journalist Syndicate Tarel al-Momny rejects the ratification of the amended Publications Acts. The Journalist Syndicate sent a letter to the Jordanian King Abdullah II urging him not to ratify the draft law, which is considered harmful for the freedom of press.
Website editors and journalists have organised an open sit-in in al-Sahafa Street. They set up a tent to protest against the ratification of the amended Publications Act. They claimed that this amended law harms the freedom of the press and contradicts the constitution.
The organisers of the sit-in announced that the protest tent comes within a series of actions against the Publications Act, starting at 12 O’clock with a sit-in in front of the Royal Hashemite court, demanding the king not to approve the draft  
The protestors denounced the governmental and parliamentary insistence on the amended Publications Act.
They also pointed out that the ratification of the law comes with the launch of  the preparations for the parliamentary elections, which need a consensus atmosphere and the media role to oversee the electoral process. The protestors accused the government of meaning such coincidence in the frame of its anti-reform stance.
The Senate council approved on Saturday the amended Publications Act, amended by MPs, and waiting to be ratified by the King, according to the constitution.