Jordan Bans Muslim Brotherhood, Seizes Offices and Assets, Arrests 16 Members

Jordan Bans Muslim Brotherhood, Seizes Offices and Assets, Arrests 16 Members
April 24, 2025 – Reuters

The Jordanian government on Wednesday officially banned the Muslim Brotherhood, the country's most influential opposition group, and seized all of its offices and properties. Interior Minister Mazen Faraya stated that the decision was made after evidence emerged linking the group to a “destructive conspiracy.”

The Muslim Brotherhood, which has operated legally in Jordan for decades with widespread urban support and numerous offices, did not immediately respond to the announcement.

Last week, Jordan revealed that it had arrested 16 members of the Brotherhood, accusing them of receiving training and financial support in Lebanon and plotting rocket and drone attacks within Jordan. Authorities also linked a failed conspiracy in 2024 to a Brotherhood cell.

Minister Faraya declared that all activities of the group are now banned, and anyone promoting its ideology would face legal action. He added that using the Brotherhood's name for any publications is also prohibited, and all of the group's offices and assets have been shut down and confiscated.

Government officials reported that, following the public prosecutor’s orders, security forces raided numerous Brotherhood offices in search of documents. It is believed that there were attempts to remove or destroy papers from some locations.

The Muslim Brotherhood — one of the oldest and most influential Islamist organizations in the Arab world — denied the accusations but admitted that a few of its members may have independently engaged in arms smuggling, particularly in support of Palestinians in the occupied West Bank.

Critics of the group have labeled it a dangerous terrorist organization and called for its eradication. The Brotherhood, however, has maintained that it renounced violence decades ago and promotes its Islamist ideology through peaceful means.

Political analyst Mohammad Khair Rawashdeh commented, “There is no longer a banner under the name of the Muslim Brotherhood. This is the final break in a decades-long tug of war between the state and the Brotherhood.”

He also noted that further steps could be taken by the government to completely dismantle the organization.

The Brotherhood’s political wing, the Islamic Action Front (IAF), became the largest political bloc in parliament during elections last September, despite most seats being held by pro-government forces. IAF offices were also searched, and documents seized — a move that could signal a forthcoming dissolution of the party, according to a security source.

IAF leader Wael Sakka asserted that the party is not organizationally linked to the Muslim Brotherhood and operates as an independent political party in accordance with the law.

Like many of its neighbors, Jordan has cracked down on political Islam over the past two years, banning some Brotherhood activities and arresting many government critics.

International human rights organizations have stated that in the past four years, the Jordanian government has increased repression against opposition groups and civilians, using various laws to suppress freedom of expression.