The Amman Court of First Instance, sitting as an appellate court, issued a final ruling, April 22^nd clearing journalist Daoud Kuttab of all charges in a defamation case stemming from an article he published five years ago.  The court ordered the cessation of the police pursuit of the cleared journalist.

Kuttab, Director General of the Community Media Network, filed on February 13, 2022, by a businessman's company, marking the second legal action brought against him in connection with the same report. The investigative article, titled “American-Jordanian Investor Imprisoned Over Stolen Check,” was originally published on the AmmanNet website on January 7, 2020.

In its ruling, the court, presided over by Judge Rabaa Al-Kilani with Judge Maram Mahasneh—determined that the complaint lacked legal merit. “The complaint did not request compensation or material damages, which renders the claim invalid and unclear,” the ruling stated. “It is correct to say that the complaint, as previously described, does not contain a claim. Therefore, our court finds that this alleged claim is invalid due to the lack of conditions for a valid claim.”

Attorney Taghreed Doghmi represented Kuttab in the case, which followed the dismissal of an earlier lawsuit related to the same publication.

Al Fasil law firm, led by attorney Mohammad Qutaishat, successfully defended Kuttab in the first case.

Kuttab was briefly detained by authorities at Queen Alia International Airport on August 3, 2022, upon returning from travel abroad. He was released on bail early the next morning, after authorities reviewed the cybercrime complaint. A security source told AmmanNet that the situation was “handled immediately without an actual arrest.”

In statements given during the original investigation, back in 2020, Kuttab told Public Prosecutor Rami Tarawneh that the phrase “stolen check” appeared in official court documents and that AmmanNet had attempted to contact the related person who made the complaint for comment, but the request was declined. 

Kuttab emphasized that the report was aimed at serving the public interest by uncovering the truth, with no intent to defame. He also noted that the article had been reviewed and legally approved by the organization’s lawyer, as it was based on public court records.

For details on the original article, click here