Jordan’s State Security Court sentenced three men to death for the October 23 terrorist attack on St George’s Greek Orthodox Church in Karak, which killed nine people and injured 34
The defendants were convicted of multiple terrorism-related offences, including carrying out attacks resulting in death, weapons offences and promoting a terrorist group’s ideology
Jordan also launched airstrikes in southern Syria against groups it linked to the attack. Syrian authorities reported seven deaths, including three children, prompting the two countries to agree to a joint security committee
Three Men Face Death Penalty Over Jordan’s Deadly Church Attack
The State Security Court convicted the men over the October 23 shooting at a Greek Orthodox church in Karak that killed nine people and injured 34. The sentences will undergo automatic review.
Summary
Jordan's State Security Court on Sunday sentenced three men to death for carrying out a terrorist attack on St George's Greek Orthodox Church in the southern governorate of Karak last month, in which nine people were killed and 34 injured.
The court convicted the defendants of several terrorism-related offences, including carrying out terrorist acts resulting in death, using and possessing weapons and ammunition for terrorist purposes, conspiring to commit terrorist acts and promoting the ideology of a terrorist group, according to state news agency.
One of the three was also convicted of providing funds to finance terrorist acts under Jordan's Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorism Financing Law. The sentences are subject to automatic review by the country's Court of Cassation and have not yet become final.
The attack took place on October 23 at the church in the village of Hammoud, during a funeral procession. Gunmen opened fire, killing nine people and wounding 34 others, according to authorities cited by Reuters. It was a rare attack on Jordan's Christian minority.
Arrests And Investigation
Jordan's Public Security Directorate announced the arrest of the three suspects on October 26, following a security operation at an abandoned house in Karak. The men reportedly refused to surrender and engaged security forces in a shootout. All three were wounded, while no security personnel were injured, according to the authorities.
The State Security Court's public prosecutor completed the investigation by November 3, after examining evidence from the crime scene, documenting the weapons and ammunition used, recording witness statements and questioning the defendants.
Prosecutors filed multiple charges under Jordan's Anti-Terrorism Law and Penal Code, including nine counts of jointly committing terrorist acts resulting in death.
Regional Security Fallout
The attack also prompted a security response beyond Jordan's borders. On October 26, Jordan's armed forces carried out airstrikes against alleged militant-group positions in southern Syria, saying the groups targeted had links to the church attack.
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Syrian authorities reported that seven people, including three children and a woman, were killed in the strikes. Jordan later acknowledged civilian deaths, and the two countries agreed to establish a joint security committee to review the incident and its consequences.
The verdict brings the court proceedings against the three defendants to a sentencing stage, but the automatic review by the Court of Cassation remains pending.
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