Overview of Human Rights in Jordan

The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan is a constitutional monarchy. King Abdullah II bin Hussein has both executive and legislative authority over the land. In the wake of two terrorist attacks in 2005, the government insists it will work to ensure the public safety of all without denying people civil liberties. In general, the government works to respect the civil and human rights of its citizens. However, there are still many areas where problems persist. Allegations of torture, arbitrary arrest and detention, lack of transparent and impartial investigations and other incidences of police abuse continue to go unchecked. The denial of due process and limited judicial independence are also areas of concern. The government restricts freedoms of press, speech, movement, religion, assembly and association. Members of opposition political parties face harassment and threats of violence. Citizens’ privacy rights can be revoked at any time by the government as well. Child abuse, restrictions on labor rights, discrimination against Palestinians, and abuse of foreign workers have also been reported.

Human Development Index (HDI) Rank:

86th out of 177

Note: Human Development Index (HDI) is a composite index that measures the level of well-being of nations in the world. It uses factors such as poverty, literacy, life-expectancy, education, gross domestic product, and purchasing power parity to assess the average achievements in each nation. It has been used in the United Nation’s Human Development Report since 1993.