Jordanian security forces arrested researcher Al-Mu’tasim Billah Matar on Tuesday evening, without providing any explanation or presenting a legal arrest warrant, and took him to an unknown detention center.
According to his brother Ahmed, the family still has no information about his whereabouts or health condition, raising deep concern over his physical and psychological safety.
Al-Mu’tasim Billah Matar is the director of the Qubba Cultural Association for the Study of Jerusalem Sciences and holds a master’s degree in Islamic History and Civilisations. According to his family, he has never been involved in any unlawful activity. He has consistently demonstrated dedication to serving his country and community through academic and cultural endeavors, far from any form of extremism or harm.
His arbitrary arrest stands in violation of Jordan’s international obligations, particularly the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, to which Jordan is a signatory. The covenant guarantees every individual the right to liberty and security of person and protection from arbitrary arrest or enforced disappearance.
The Jordanian Constitution also explicitly safeguards personal freedoms under Article 8, stating that “no person shall be arrested, detained, imprisoned or have their freedom restricted except in accordance with the provisions of the law.” Furthermore, Jordanian criminal procedure law requires the presentation of a judicial arrest warrant, the detainee’s right to contact a lawyer, and the obligation to inform their family of their detention location.
The continued incommunicado detention of Al-Mu’tasim Billah Matar, without any clear legal procedures, raises serious concerns regarding the rule of law and human rights standards in Jordan. This situation demands urgent action to uncover his fate and that of all political detainees in the Kingdom, and to ensure their safety and the protection of their fundamental rights.
