Terrorism-Related Charges Filed Against Perpetrators of Karak Church Attack in Jordan
Jordan's Public Prosecution has filed seven terrorism charges against three suspects in the Karak Church attack that resulted in nine deaths.
Translated by Qiyas from كويت نيوز — Original source
The public prosecutor at Jordan’s State Security Court announced on Tuesday that seven terrorism-related charges have been brought against three Jordanians who carried out an unprecedented attack on a church in the southern governorate of Karak, which left nine people dead.
The Public Prosecution said in a statement that it had completed “all investigative procedures (…) regarding the commission of the terrorist act” targeting St. George’s Church in the town of Hamoud on October 23, as well as “interrogating the suspects in the case who carried out the terrorist act.”
The three detainees face seven charges, the most prominent of which are “committing terrorist acts resulting in death, committing terrorist acts using weapons and ammunition, possessing weapons and ammunition with the intent to use them for terrorist purposes, conspiring to commit terrorist acts, and propagating the ideas of a terrorist group,” according to the statement.
Under the law, a conviction for “committing terrorist acts resulting in death” can carry the death penalty.
The suspects attacked a funeral in the village of Hamoud, firing randomly outside and inside the church where around 200 people had gathered to attend the burial ceremony, killing nine people and injuring 25 others.
The attackers evaded capture after fleeing the scene, until authorities announced their arrest three days later. They stated that the suspects were two brothers and their cousin, that they are Jordanians, and that they adhere to “Takfiri ideology.”
Christians make up about three percent of Jordan’s population of approximately 11 million.
In 2016, the Karak governorate witnessed a series of attacks, most of which were attributed to the Islamic State. The deadliest of these was an attack in December targeting a security center and police patrols, which left ten people dead, including seven security personnel and a tourist.
Four armed militants who had holed up in Karak Castle were killed later during a confrontation with security forces.
