Jordan- SSC releases more salafists on bail 

(MENAFN - Jordan Times) The State Security Court (SSC) on Tuesday released on bail another 21 of the 99 defendants standing trial on charges of plotting terrorist attacks and inciting riots and sectarianism in Zarqa in April this year.

The 99 men are part of a group of 150 defendants being tried at the SSC in connection with violent clashes with police officers that left dozens injured.

The other 51 defendants are at large and being tried in absentia.

The SCC released 59 defendants on bail last month and 19 remain imprisoned.

"The SSC promised to release more defendants in the coming weeks," Majid Liftawi, one of the group's defence lawyers, told The Jordan Times.

Meanwhile, in a court session on Monday, four security officers testified for the prosecution that civilians clashed with the protesters and rocks were thrown in the process, according to Liftawi.

He said 36 prosecution witnesses are scheduled to testify within the next few weeks.

The charge sheet said the defendants adopted takfiri ideology (labelling others as unbelievers) and formed a gang to undermine the security of the country by giving themselves the authority to kill and injure people, even though Islamic Sharia does not sanction such acts.

On April 15, the group armed themselves with knives, clubs, nails, swords, axes, pocket knives, daggers, metal poles, and sharp and blunt objects and headed to a mosque in downtown Zarqa with the aim of "threatening and scaring people, and to attack and kill police officers", the charge sheet added.

Later in the day, they clashed with security forces at Al Jaish Circle in Zarqa injuring 83 police officers, some of them severely.