Jordan frees killers of Israeli soldiers
Four Jordanian prisoners handed over by Israel last year to complete their life sentences in the kingdom were released from a jail north of the capital Amman on Wednesday.
The four, who were convicted of killing two Israeli soldiers in November 1990 four years before Israel and Jordan signed a peace treaty, received a hero’s welcome from relatives as they walked out of Qafqafa prison carrying Jordanian flags.
Jordan’s Islamist-dominated trade unions said they were planning a festival later on Wednesday to celebrate the release of the prisoners, who were transferred by Israel in July 2007 in a goodwill gesture to King Abdullah II.
Under Jordanian law, a life sentence is equivalent to 25 years in prison and a “year” of jail in the kingdom comprises just nine months.
According to police, the four men were freed after serving three-quarters of their sentences because they had exhibited good conduct.
The trade unions had joined with members of parliament and journalists in campaigning for the men’s release after Israel freed all its Lebanese prisoners in an exchange with the Shiite militant group Hezbollah last month. (AFP)
