Jordanian Student Sentenced to Jail for 2 Years Over IM

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    Date: 
    19 July 2010

    Ammannet, the Arab world’s first Internet radio, reported this week that Jordanian authorities have lowered the bar a notch with the 2 year imprisonment of a college student Imad Al-Ash over an IM (Instant Message) sent in the privacy of his home to a friend using an Instant Messenger application.

    The instant message by Al-Ash allegedly contained words that “insulted the supreme entities” (translated from Arabic) known to others as His Majesty King Abdullah of Jordan. Amongst the charges were also allegations of participation in public online forums expressing ‘controversial religious opinions’, none of which the court had substantial proof of, as expressed by his attorney.