Prison verdict for stabbing changed to ‘indefinite’ term at psychiatric institute

AMMAN — The State Security Court (SSC) on Monday sentenced a man, who was originally handed a verdict of 15 years in prison for stabbing a British tourist in Amman in February 2017, to spend an “indefinite” amount of time at the National Institute of Psychiatric Medicine (NIPM).

In March 2018, the SCC sentenced the defendant to life in prison after convicting him of carrying out a terrorist act by stabbing a British tourist with a kitchen knife in downtown Amman in February 2017, and handed him a life sentence. 

His sentence was reduced to 15 years because the “SCC decided to give the defendant a second chance in life”.

However, his lawyer contested the SSC verdict at the Court of Cassation, arguing that “his client suffered from mental problems and was being treated at the NIPM for schizophrenia”, a senior judicial source said.

The Court of Cassation overturned the verdict and asked the SCC to summon the three physicians at the NIPM who supervised the defendant, the senior judicial source added.

“The SSC summoned the three physicians and they all confirmed that the defendant was being treated at the centre at the time of the incident and that he suffered from schizophrenia,” the senior judicial source told The Jordan Times.

The physicians also testified that the defendant “was not taking his medication properly around the time of the stabbing incident”, according to the senior judicial source.

Based on the three physicians’ testimony, the senior judicial source added, “the SSC decided to sentence him to spend the necessary time at the medical facility”.

“The SSC ruled that the suspect poses a threat to society because of his mental condition and that he should remain at the NIPM until it is proven that he is sane,” the judicial source said.

Court documents said the defendant attacked the victim with a knife while in the downtown area. The victim was rushed to a nearby hospital and was treated for artificial stab wounds to the shoulder.

The SSC tribunal comprised Military Judge Col. Ali Mubeidin and civil judges Nasser Salamat and Afif Khawaldeh.