HAMZA
BANI ISSA

Background and Work

Hamza Bani Issa is a chemistry teacher and political activist from Irbid, Jordan. His activism centered on peaceful political expression and advocacy for Palestinian rights. In March 2025, he was distributing leaflets in Irbid that documented Israeli violence against civilians in Gaza—an exercise of protected speech under both Jordanian law and international human rights standards.

Hamza had previously been imprisoned for affiliation with Hizb al-Tahrir, an unlicensed political organization in Jordan. He had completed that sentence. His continued political engagement made him a target for recurring state scrutiny and arrest.

The Arrest and Torture

On 25 March 2025, security forces arrested Hamza in Irbid while he was distributing political leaflets. He was taken to the East Irbid Security Center. Officers ordered him to undergo a public strip search. When he refused, police beat him with extreme force.

The assault caused catastrophic injury to his left eye: global luxation of the eyeball and complete retinal detachment. He was transferred to Princess Basma Hospital on the same day and underwent emergency surgery. Despite follow-up treatment at Prince Hamza Hospital, his left eye lost all perception of light. The blindness is permanent. Medical records confirm that the injuries resulted directly from the police beating.

The strip search that preceded the assault is prohibited under Jordanian law without reasonable suspicion. Forcing a detainee to disrobe in public constitutes degrading treatment. The beating that followed, resulting in permanent disability, constitutes torture under the Convention Against Torture and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.

Charges and Pretrial Detention

Following the arrest, prosecutors charged Hamza with affiliation to an unlicensed organization—Hizb al-Tahrir—a charge for which he had already served a prison term. Additional charges include distribution of leaflets addressing political issues and alleged endangerment of national security. All charges stem exclusively from his peaceful political activism and protected rights to freedom of expression and association.

Three months after his arrest, Hamza remains in pretrial detention at Zarqa Prison. His continued imprisonment reflects the systematic use of prolonged pretrial detention as a tool of repression against political activists in Jordan. No trial date has been set, and no sentence has been issued.

Retaliation Against the Family

On 13 July 2025, Hamza's mother released a video calling for justice and accountability for her son's torture and permanent injury. Authorities restricted the video on Facebook. A senior government official then contacted the family and demanded the removal of all online posts. The official warned of further retaliation if the family continued to speak publicly.

Police subsequently filed a new charge against Hamza: resisting law enforcement. The accusation is widely used in Jordan to retrospectively justify violence inflicted on detainees. The charge represents retaliation against both Hamza and his family for demanding accountability.

Hamza's mother has stated publicly that she fears for her son's safety and wellbeing in detention. The family continues to face intimidation and pressure designed to silence them.

Denial of Justice and Systemic Impunity

Hamza filed a lawsuit against the officers who assaulted and permanently blinded him. On 7 May 2025, the Irbid Governorate Police Prosecutor dismissed the case, citing insufficient evidence. No investigation was documented. No officers were questioned. The dismissal came six weeks after the assault.

Jordanian law criminalizes torture, but the Public Security Directorate routinely conducts internal investigations of its own officers, insulating them from civilian oversight and accountability. The Jordanian National Center for Human Rights, the body that previously provided independent monitoring of detention facilities, was effectively neutralized in 2022. Since then, independent oversight of police conduct and detention conditions has been blocked, perpetuating a system in which torture and abuse occur with impunity.

Lawyers from the National Forum for the Defense of Freedoms and international observers have stated that the dismissal of Hamza's complaint reflects consent and encouragement from senior authorities for police violence.

Health and Detention Conditions

Hamza's permanent loss of vision in his left eye has not been adequately addressed by prison authorities. He continues to require specialized ophthalmological care and rehabilitation. His access to such care in detention remains unclear.

His family has expressed ongoing concern for his physical and psychological wellbeing. The trauma of torture, the permanent disability, and the threat of further charges all contribute to his deteriorating condition.

Legal and Human Rights Violations

Hamza Bani Issa's case involves multiple grave violations of international human rights law. He was arbitrarily arrested and has been held in prolonged pretrial detention for charges that relate solely to protected expression. He was tortured, resulting in permanent disability. Authorities denied him effective remedy by dismissing his complaint without investigation. His family has been subjected to threats, censorship, and judicial harassment designed to suppress their demands for accountability.

The violations documented in this case include arbitrary detention under Article 9 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights; torture and cruel, inhuman, and degrading treatment under the Convention Against Torture; retaliation and suppression of speech under Articles 17 and 19 of the ICCPR; denial of the right to an impartial investigation; and denial of adequate medical care in violation of the right to health and humane treatment.

The Need for Accountability

Hamza Bani Issa's detention, torture, and permanent injury constitute grave abuses of state power. His family's persecution underscores the extent of systemic impunity in Jordan. Independent investigation, prosecution of perpetrators, protection for Hamza and his family, and full compliance with international fair trial and torture prohibition standards are urgently required.