Jordan fuelling 'internal crisis' with Palestine solidarity crackdown, sources say
Jordanian authorities are inadvertently fuelling an "internal crisis" with their decision to crack down on Palestine solidarity activists, sources have told Middle East Eye.
The sources said that the situation was reaching a boiling point due to Jordan's intelligence services launching a heavy-handed campaign of arrests targeting activists, political opponents and party leaders.
The arrests come amid mounting instability in neighbouring Syria, worsening conditions for Palestinians in the occupied West Bank and Israel pursuing a campaign of genocide by starvation in Gaza.
On Wednesday, Jordanian authorities arrested the prominent social media activist Ayman Aballi, days after he published a video denouncing what he called the country's "silence" over Israel's starvation policy in Gaza.
Criticism of the intelligence services, commonly known as the Mukhabarat, was already escalating after a young man died in police custody a day after his arrest, the sources told MEE.
Local media reported that tensions began to escalate after Ahmed al-Ibrahim died in police custody after being subject to a "severe physical assault" during detention.
According to his family, Ibrahim was taken to a nearby hospital on multiple occasions while at the Ramtha police station in Ar-Ramtha, 5km from the Syrian border.
He reportedly succumbed to his injuries hours after being transferred to the hospital for the final time.
His death triggered a night of anger in Ar-Ramtha, with videos seen by MEE showing angry protesters blocking roads, setting tyres on fire and demanding full accountability.
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