Information on the Tahreer (Tahrir) Party (Liberation Party), Hizb Al-Tahrir Al-Islami, including its objectives and activities, its membership and leaders, the treatment of its members by the Jordanian government and whether there is any penalty imposed on ordinary members for their party affiliation [JOR18844.E]

The New Leader quotes Tahreer spokesman Atta Abu Rushteh as stating that
[t]he Tahreer Party does not agree with any political system in the Islamic world. ... It is doing its best to establish an Islamic state, and so it is working against these [Jordanian] rulers" (6 May 1991).

The spokesman maintains that "[w]e support the struggle against the Jordanian government, the intellectual and political struggle" (ibid.). The spokesman adds that "his party would not participate in any Jordanian election if it had to declare allegiance to the Constitution" (ibid.). Country Reports 1993 states that Jordanian authorities detained
a number of Islamists in 1993 for alleged affiliation with or membership in an illegal political organization, the Islamic Liberation Party (Hizb Al-Tahrir Al-Islami) which advocates the violent overthrow of the Jordanian Government, the abrogation of Constitution, and the adoption of Islamic law as the foundation of the state (1994, 1217).

The source mentions that several Tahreer detainees, including its leaders Ata (Atta) Abu Rishteh (Rushteh or al-Rushta) and Bakr Al-Khawlidah (al-Khawalidah), were released "after 6 months in incommunicado detention. There are unconfirmed reports that up to 10 Hizb Al-Tahrir party members remained in detention without charges at the end of [1993]" (ibid.). Amnesty International Report 1994 confirms the detention and November 1993 release of Tahrir Party official spokesperson Ata Abu Rishteh and president Bakr Al-Khawlidah (1994, 180). According to the report, these leaders stated that their party "did not advocate violence in pursuit of its aims" (ibid.).

According to The New Leader, Jordanian police "rounded up several members" of the Tahreer Party in 1991 (6 May 1991).

The attached Al-Ribat article reports on the Tahreer rejection of the 1991 Arab-Israeli peace conference (22 Oct. 1991).

The Jordanian parliament adopted new legislation on political parties and the press in July 1992. According to Europa 1994, "subject to certain conditions, political parties were formally legalized, in preparation for the country's first multiparty elections" (1994, 1649). The attachment from Al-Ra'y, which provides the text of this legislation stipulating the criteria for legalizing political parties, might be useful.

This response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the DIRB within time constraints. This response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum.

References

Al-Ribat [Amman, in Arabic]. 22 October 1991. "Al-Tahrir Party Rejects Peace Plans." (FBIS-NES-91-207 25 Oct. 1991, p. 42)

Amnesty International. 1994. Amnesty International Annual Report 1994. New York: Amnesty International USA.

Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 1993. 1994. United States Department of State. Washington, DC: United States Government Printing Office.

The Europa World Year Book 1994. 1994. Vol. 1. London: Europa Publications.

The New Leader. 6 May 1991. Donald Kirk. "Jordan Inches Toward Democracy: Counting on the Center; Drafting and Implementing the 'National Charter'." (NEXIS)

Attachments

Al-Ra'y [Amman, in Arabic]. 21 August 1992. "'Text' of 1992 Political Parties Draft Law." (FBIS-NES-92-166 26 Aug. 1992, pp. 31-35)

Al-Ribat [Amman, in Arabic]. 22 October 1991. "Al-Tahrir Party Rejects Peace Plans." (FBIS-NES-91-207 25 Oct. 1991, p. 42)

The Europa World Year Book 1994. 1994. Vol. 1. London: Europa Publications, p. 1649.

The New Leader. 6 May 1991. Donald Kirk. "Jordan Inches Toward Democracy: Counting on the Center; Drafting and Implementing the 'National Charter'." (NEXIS)