After about three years, Jordan rescinded emergency laws enacted at the start of the coronavirus pandemic, which critics say were used as a pretext to crack down on critics. The king today approved the lifting of the state of emergency, which allowed the government to restrict fundamental rights and annul existing laws.
The move comes two days after the World Health Organization (WHO) announced it was no longer classifying Covid-19 as a global health emergency.
Human rights organization Human Rights Watch said Jordan had toughened several laws in recent years to silence critical voices in the country. Repealing the emergency laws is a good first step towards respecting fundamental rights, said the organization’s deputy director for the region, Adam Coogle.