General updates

As part of the broader conflict stemming from the 2026 Iran war, Jordanian air defenses intercepted multiple Iranian missiles and drones that entered its airspace between late February and mid‑March, leading to heightened national security concerns and some civilian injuries. Jordan also remained engaged in diplomatic efforts, with its officials expected to participate in an Arab and Islamic foreign ministers’ consultative meeting in Riyadh in March to discuss regional stability.

Freedom of association

NGOs in Jordan continue to operate within a restrictive environment shaped by structural constraints. Organizations face funding limitations that affect their ability to sustain operations and implement activities. They are also subject to mandatory approval and vetting processes for projects, requiring extensive administrative compliance and oversight by national authorities. Access to funding remains restricted by registration requirements, excluding unregistered or informal groups and reinforcing state control over eligible actors. At the same time, aid delivery systems remain highly centralized, with tight control over funding flows, limiting NGOs’ independence and influencing their programming priorities.

Freedom of expression

Media outlets and individuals continue to be subject to strict oversight, with authorities maintaining broad powers to control reporting and online content. Critical reporting, especially on politically sensitive issues such as government actions, security matters, or foreign policy, is closely monitored, and violations can lead to criminal prosecution. This environment of control was reinforced on 3 March 2026, when the Jordanian Media Authority issued a directive banning the publication of any information or videos related to the country’s defensive military operations, citing national security concerns and threatening legal action for noncompliance.

A Jordanian former detainee, Dahham Al‑Amoush, died on 16 March 2026 after a prolonged illness that followed a hunger strike while in custody. Al‑Amoush had been arrested in mid‑2025 in connection with social media posts supporting Gaza and criticizing the Jordanian government’s normalization policies with Israel. His health deteriorated over several months as he protested his detention, eventually falling into a coma and being transferred to Al‑Bashir Hospital. Authorities did not permit his family to take him abroad for further medical treatment and kept him on life support despite his critical condition. In March, a Jordanian court sentenced him in absentia to 12 years in prison — later reduced to eight — while he was already hospitalized. Human rights observers have characterised his death as resulting from official intransigence and denial of necessary medical care, amounting to a violation of international standards on the humane treatment of detainees, and emphasise that his imprisonment was directly related to his pro‑Palestinian positioning and peaceful exercise of freedom of expression.