Defendants in major terror trial plead not guilty

AMMAN — Seventeen terror indictees standing trial in Amman for plotting terrorist attacks pleaded not guilty as the hearings started on Monday, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.  

The case judged by the State Security Court (SSC) involves members of a terrorist cell charged with planning to carry out armed attacks before the General Intelligence Department (GID) thwarted their plans in November 2017. 

The charge list included plotting to carry out terrorist acts on Jordanian turf, promoting the ideology of a terrorist group, engaging in acts of terrorism, trade in firearms and ammunition, funding terrorism and possessing weapons for purposes of using in terrorist acts. 

The cell, according to court documents cited by Petra, divided its members into three groups: the job of the first was to monitor the targets, the second’s was technical support and implementing small tasks, while the mission of the third was executing the major attacks, some through suicide bombings. 

The targets included Ro’ya TV, a French support centre, a nightclub in Shmeisani, Amman, the US embassy building, Jordan Phosphate Company’s tunnels, a church in Marka and a group of Israeli businessmen.