Jordan arrests Muslim Brotherhood leader for UAE criticism

Jordan arrests Muslim Brotherhood leader for UAE criticism
Jordanian state security arrested Zaki Bani Rushaid, deputy head of the Muslim Brotherhood in the country, late Thursday night after he published an article critical of the UAE.
2 min read
21 November, 2014
Bani Rushaid is accused of disturbing Jordan's relations with foreign countries

Jordanian state security arrested Zaki Bani Rushaid, deputy head of the Muslim Brotherhood in the country, late Thursday night.

The arrest came after he was summoned by the state security court.

“Bani Rushaid was arrested shortly after a meeting with the group’s shura (or consultative) council at the organisation’s headquarters in the neighbourhood of al-Abdeli in the capital Amman”, Muslim Brotherhood leader Murad al-Adayla told al-Araby al-Jadeed

Bani Rushaid, who is regarded as a hawkish member of the group, was immediately transferred to the state security court, where the prosecutor general ordered his detention for 15 days with the possibility of a further extension.

He is charged with violating Jordan anti-terror laws by “disturbing the Kingdom’s relations with foreign countries”. 

If convicted, he could face up to 15 years behind bars.

     He is charged with violating Jordan anti-terror laws by disturbing the kingdom’s relations with foreign countries.

The arrest came shortly after Bani Rushaid published an article critical of the UAE in which he accused the Gulf state of being the main sponsor of terrorism in the region, a judicial source told al-Araby.  

In the article, Rushaid criticised the Gulf state’s role in the region, and the list of terrorist organisations it issued recently, which included the Brotherhood.

Abu Dhabi, the largest emirate in the UAE, conducted its own recent purge of Muslim Brotherhood members, sentencing dozens of suspected foreign and Emirati members to jail without appeal in cases that Amnesty International described as being “littered with irregularities”. 

Rushaid is regarded a leading figure in the Islamist movement, and had been the secretary-general of the Islamic Action Front party, the Brotherhood's political wing in Jordan.

He left his post following internal party discussions in what was seen as an attempt to defuse tensions with the government in Amman. 

Bani Rushaid is known for his strong connections to the Palestinian armed and political movement Hamas, and for being a staunch advocate for maintaining strong relations with the Gaza-based group.  

This angered more dovish elements within the Brotherhood, who want to sever or weaken ties with Hamas.