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Al-Araby
Al-Araby
Jordan’s King Abdallah has issued a royal decree pardoning 155 convicts of lèse-majesté – insulting the monarch – the Jordanian Royal Court announced on Sunday. King Abdullah in October directed his government to study all active cases of lèse-majesté in order to begin issuing special pardons. He periodically issues amnesties for some convicts found guilty of minor offenses. “Lèse-majesté” is a French term meaning “to do wrong to majesty”, which is a criminal offence in Jordan according to Article 195 of the Penal Code. It states that insulting the king or undermining his dignity in writing, w…