Jordan Withdraws Repressive Draft Law

On January 8, the Jordanian government withdrew a controversial draft law that would have given the Ministry of Social Development unchecked power to restrict civil society groups by denying them licenses, removing their boards, or shutting them down. It would have also enshrined governmental control over all donations, both domestic and foreign, to Jordanian nongovernmental organizations, or NGOs. Three weeks earlier, Human Rights Watch had sharply criticized Jordan's increasing restrictions on independent organizations and citizens' rights to freedom of assembly and association, and we pressed government ministers to abandon the draft NGOs law. At a press conference after the bill withdrawal, the Minister of State for Media Affairs and Communications told reporters that the government "will conduct in-depth discussions with civil society organizations and all concerned parties regarding the draft NGOs law."