First Published: 2016-01-04
Jordan releases Muslim Brotherhood number two
Zaki Bani Rsheid, deputy head of the Brotherhood in Jordan, freed after serving18-month sentence for criticising UAE.
Middle East Online
Rsheid
AMMAN - Jordan has released a senior leader of the Muslim Brotherhood after he served an 18-month sentence for criticising the United Arab Emirates, his lawyer said on Monday.
Zaki Bani Rsheid, who is the deputy head of the Brotherhood in Jordan, was released late on Sunday night "after serving his full sentence", Abdelkader al-Khatib said.
The lawyer said the 58-year-old was probably released at night to prevent his supporters from celebrating.
The state security court in Amman last year found Rsheid guilty of making statements "likely to damage relations between the kingdom and a foreign country", referring to the UAE.
Rsheid had been arrested in November 2014 after criticising the UAE for blacklisting more than 80 Islamist groups including the Brotherhood.
In comments published on his Facebook page, Rsheid described the UAE as "the prime godfather of terrorism", and accused the energy-rich Gulf state of serving US and Israeli interests in the region.
Jordan is a close ally of the UAE and both nations are part of the US-led campaign against the Islamic State group that controls swathes of territory in Iraq and Syria.
Organisations blacklisted by the UAE include Al-Qaeda, IS, Yemen's Shiite Huthi militia and the Brotherhood -- which was formed in Egypt in 1928 and has branches across the region.
The Jordanian branch of the Brotherhood is the main opposition force in the kingdom and has wide grassroots support.
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