ISRAEL/JORDAN: Israel hands over four Jordanian militants

Record ID: 396676

  • Title: ISRAEL/JORDAN: Israel hands over four Jordanian militants
  • Date: 6th July 2007
  • Summary: THE FOUR JORDANIAN DETAINEES SITTING TOGETHER VARIOUS OF THE FOUR JORDANIAN DETAINEES
  • Embargoed: 21st July 2007 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Topics: Crime / Law Enforcement
  • Reuters ID: LVAD43TYJPZ37T6Z69457M1F80HU
  • Story Text: Israel hands over four Jordanian militants that were serving life sentences for staging attacks against army outposts and Jewish settlers.
    Four Jordanians, jailed for life for cross border attacks that killed two Israelis, have arrived back in Jordan where they'll serve out the rest of their sentences.
    They've already spent nearly 17 years in an Israeli prison.
    The four -- Sultan Ajlouni, Amin Sanae and Khaled and Yousef Abu Ghaleon -- will now spend a further 18 months in a Jordanian prison.
    They'll then be released under the terms of a deal with Amman that allows for reduced prison terms.
    Jordanian officials say Israel accepted the deal as a gesture to Amman which, along with Egypt, enjoys full peace treaties and strong security coordination with the Jewish state.
    The deal allows an immediate release of the prisoners if Israel agrees to free Palestinian or Arab militants serving life sentences for militant attacks in any future prisoner swap with Hezbollah or Hamas, they added.
    This will reduce the pressure on Jordan, criticised by some independent politicians and the Islamist-led opposition for agreeing to such terms.
    Family and friends of the four men welcomed them home.
    "I wanted to hug him but I couldn't, I wanted to put my head on his shoulder a bit, to cry a bit, but I really couldn't because of the police," said the sister of Amin Sanae.
    "Sultan was reborn by coming home, coming back to his family and beloved ones, you are all our children, you are all our brothers, and whoever was happy for Sultan may God reward him," Sultan Ajlouni's mother said.
    Jordanian officials say the deal was a breakthrough after years of negotiations with successive Israeli governments opposed to handing over Arab militants deemed to "have blood on their hands."
    The kingdom's peace treaty with Israel in 1994 is shored up by close border coordination, security officials say.
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