Press association continues efforts to secure columnist’s release

AMMAN — The Jordan Press Association (JPA) on Monday said it was exerting its utmost efforts to secure the release of detained Al Rai columnist Abdulhadi Raji Majali.

In a statement sent to The Jordan Times, the JPA said it was following up on the detention of Majali, stressing its denunciation of his detainment due to an article posted on Facebook.

The JPA called for Majali to be released on bail immediately, claiming that his detention is in violation of the Press and Publications Law and is detrimental to media freedom.

The Amman prosecutor general on Sunday ordered the detention of Majali, who is also director of Al Hussein Cultural Centre, for one week at the Marka Correctional and Rehabilitation Centre for the Facebook article related to the media approach of the government and security forces in the wake of the March 24 protest at the Interior Ministry Circle in 2011, which ended violently.