After around three years, Jordan has rescinded emergency laws enacted at the start of the coronavirus pandemic, which critics say were used as a pretext to suppress critics. The king today approved the lifting of the state of emergency, which has allowed the government to curb fundamental rights and overrule existing laws.
The move comes two days after the World Health Organization (WHO) announced it was no longer classifying Covid-19 as a global health emergency.
The human rights organization Human Rights Watch said Jordan has tightened numerous laws in recent years to silence critical voices in the country. Repealing the emergency laws is a good first step towards respect for fundamental rights, said the organization’s deputy director for the region, Adam Coogle.
