Jordanian authorities have arrested several people for attending a meeting linked to the banned Muslim Brotherhood in the southern city of Aqaba, the Interior Ministry said on Sunday.
The ministry described it as “an unauthorised gathering organised at the direction of individuals who previously held senior positions” in the Brotherhood. It said efforts were continuing to pursue the organisers and take legal action against them.
The ministry stressed that the Muslim Brotherhood is prohibited in Jordan and that any activities conducted under its umbrella are illegal. It warned that those involved would face prosecution.
Officials also said that political activity is only permitted through licensed and legally recognised parties, adding that any attempt to circumvent the law will not be tolerated.
In April last year, Jordan banned the Brotherhood, a week after a dozen of its members were implicated in an alleged plot against the country. Subsequent trials resulted in the imprisonment of at least nine people.
The Jordanian Muslim Brotherhood is a branch of the group founded in Egypt. Membership is now illegal in Jordan and all its offices have been closed. Even before the ban, the Brotherhood had been considered officially dissolved in Jordan, but outlawing it has further limited its room for manoeuvre.
The Islamic Action Front, the political wing of the Muslim Brotherhood, has not been officially banned, though Jordanian authorities have carried out raids on its offices.
