31-year-old charged with premeditated murder of sister for ‘family honour’

AMMAN — The Criminal Court prosecutor on Saturday charged a 31-year-old man with premeditated murder in connection with the alleged shooting death of his married sister near a nightclub in Amman on Friday night for reasons related to so-called family honour, official sources said.

A second borther, who is a military personnel, and was also reportedly involved in the murder, was referred to the military prosecutor for questioning and indictment, a senior judicial source said.

The 27-year-old victim was reportedly shot and killed while leaving a nightclub with a friend in Swefieh, a senior official source said.

The suspects fled the area and were later arrested by the police, the official source added.

In his initial confession to Criminal Court Prosecutor Salah Taleb, the suspect claimed that his sister would "often leave the house without her husband's approval or knowledge".

"The suspect said he became fed up with her behaviour and decided to kill her to cleanse her family's honour", the senior judicial source told The Jordan Times.

On the day of the incident, the source added, "the suspect heard that his sister was in a nightclub so he went to the premises and shot her the minute he saw her leaving with a friend", the judicial source, who is close to the investigations, added.

"Most of the bullets were in the head and the woman that was with the victim escaped the shooting incident unharmed," the judicial source told The Jordan Times.

Police retrieved a gun from the suspect and Taleb ordered the weapon to be sent to the criminal lab for a ballistic match, according to the judicial source.

The suspect was ordered detained by Taleb for 15 days at a correctional and rehabilitation centre pending further investigations.