Jordan Court Orders Death Penalty For Three Men Over Church Attack

A Jordanian court sentenced three men to death by hanging for carrying out a deadly gun attack on a church in the southern part of the kingdom. The attack took place when gunmen stormed a funeral at a Greek Orthodox church in Hammoud village, located in Jordan's Karak governorate. The assault left nine people dead and wounded twenty-five others. Authorities stated that three men, consisting of two Jordanian brothers and their relative by marriage, fled the scene after the attack and were arrested three days later. The Jordanian Military announced the ruling in a statement, confirming that the State Security Court issued the death sentence for the criminals behind the terrorist attack. The court found the three men guilty of committing terrorist acts that resulted in death, along with weapons offences, conspiracy to commit terrorist acts, and promoting the ideas of a terrorist organisation.

Context

This violent incident deeply shook the Muslim-majority kingdom, where Christians make up a small minority of about three percent of the total population. Courts in Jordan handle cases involving terrorism through military security tribunals, which can hand down capital punishment for severe offenses.