AMMAN: Jordan’s information minister said on Saturday that freedom of expression was guaranteed after Human Rights Watch said there had been several arrests ahead of a November 9 general election.
"Jordan guarantees the freedom of expression of its citizens, and there is a consensus among all parties concerned in the electoral process to guarantee this liberty," Ali Ayed was quoted by the state news agency Petra as saying.
"The government’s message is clear: the elections will be free and transparent," he added.
On Wednesday the New York-based HRW called on Amman to "respect the right to free expression" in the run up to the election.
"In the past 10 days, authorities have arrested young people gathering for a rally calling for a boycott of the elections and censored a news item critical of the government," the rights group said in a statement.
The rally was organized by the youth office of the Popular Unity Party and follows a decision to pull out of the elections by the Islamic Action Front (IAF), the political arm of the Jordanian branch of the Muslim Brotherhood.
Eighteen people were detained for three hours before being released, with the authorities saying they had not obtained a permit for the gathering.
"The government should persuade Jordanians to participate in elections with the strength of its arguments, not the bullying of its censors," said Christoph Wilcke, senior Middle East researcher at HRW.
On Saturday Ayed also said that Prime Minister Samir Rifai had told the National Centre for Human Rights that "Jordan welcomes the presence of local or foreign observers to follow the electoral process," Petra said.
HRW also said 35 students were arrested on October 9 at their teacher’s farm in Madba, south of the capital, accused of campaigning for a boycott of the vote.
IAF officials said the Islamist students were held for several hours before being released.
