Jordan sentences defendants in rocket manufacturing case to up to 15 years in prison.

• ‘State Security Court’ sentences defendants in four security-related cases
• Two receive 15-year prison terms in rocket-manufacturing plot; others convicted in recruitment and training cases, while four acquitted in drone case

The State Security Court on Wednesday issued a series of verdicts in four related cases that targeted national security and sought to foment disorder inside the kingdom, the court announced.

Rocket-manufacturing case

In the rocket-manufacturing case, the court applied the heaviest available penalties. Defendants Abdullah Hisham and Muath Ghanem were each sentenced to 15 years’ temporary hard labor and fined, while Mohsen Ghanem was sentenced to seven-and-a-half years’ temporary hard labor and fined.

The three were convicted of attempting to manufacture weapons for unlawful use in concert, in violation of provisions of the Anti-Terrorism Law No. 55 of 2006 and its amendments, and of actions likely to disturb public order and endanger community safety.

According to the court record, the cell - composed of three main members - had set up production and storage facilities in Zarqa and Amman, including a reinforced concrete depot with sealed secret rooms. Authorities said the group obtained materials locally and from abroad, received training and funding from external sources, and produced an initial short-range rocket prototype.

Recruitment and training cases

In the recruitment case, defendants Marwan al-Hawamdeh and Anas Abu Awad were each sentenced to three years and four months’ temporary hard labor with fines for conduct judged likely to disrupt public order and threaten public safety.

Prosecutors said the pair travelled to regional countries and coordinated with external parties to recruit young people inside Jordan, receiving instructions and security training from abroad.

In a separate training case, the court sentenced Khidr Abdelaziz, Ayman Ajawi, Mohammad Saleh, and Farouq al-Samman to three years and four months’ temporary hard labor for participating in activities that undermine public order and endanger society’s safety under the Anti-Terrorism Law.

Drone case

In the drone case, the court found four defendants not guilty of the charges brought by the State Security Prosecution, ruling that the specific criminal intent required by law was not established. The court ordered the release of Ali Ahmed Qasim, Abdulaziz Haroun, Abdullah al-Haddar, and Ahmed Khalifa.

According to case details, the defendants had coordinated multiple times to manufacture unmanned aerial vehicles, divided roles among themselves, and tested a glider-type drone inside a farm. However, the court found insufficient evidence of criminal intent.

All verdicts issued by the State Security Court are subject to appeal before the Court of Cassation.