Israeli man gets 4-month sentence for illegal entry

AMMAN — The State Security Court (SSC) on Monday sentenced Israeli citizen Konstantin Kotov to four months of imprisonment and a fine of JD1000 on charges related to infiltrating into the Kingdom and drug possession. 

The SSC reduced prison term from one year to four months, but kept the fine as JD1000, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.  

Kotov was referred to the SSC after he was arrested on the northern borders while trying to cross into the Kingdom.

The Israeli man was charged with entering the Kingdom in an illegal way and in possession of narcotics.

The Foreign Ministry on October 29 last year announced that authorities had arrested an Israeli citizen who had infiltrated the Kingdom through its northern borders.

During a court hearing in December, the suspect pleaded not guilty to the charge of drug abuse, but confessed to crossing the border on foot.

The court said that the suspect crossed the border between Israel and the Kingdom from the Um Sadrah area and was arrested by the Jordan Armed Forces-Arab Army. 

The suspect said that he arrived at the border with a friend in a private vehicle and crossed into the Kingdom on foot.