The coordinator of the BDS movement in Jordan was arrested by Jordanian authorities and taken to an undisclosed location.

According to Jordan’s Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions movement, Hamza Khader’s May 6 arrest came amid a national crackdown on BDS activists and on those who support Gaza. Local sources and media referred to him as being “kidnapped.”

Khader’s social media posts reportedly prompted Jordanian authorities to arrest him under the provisions of the Cybercrime Law. The movement called it a “clear violation of Jordanians’ fundamental rights to freedom of opinion, expression, and peaceful assembly.”

Calling for its coordinator’s release, the movement said, “Solidarity with the Palestinian people, rejection of normalization [with Israel], and expressing national positions on regional issues are not acts that threaten security or public order.”

Khader had previously stated, “Our aspirations for the Palestinian cause in Jordan differ from the rest of the world because for us, in Jordan, it is an internal issue.”

According to Arab sources, Jordan escalated its crackdown on pro-Palestinian activism and journalism, as well as members of the Muslim Brotherhood, following the October 7 massacre. Amnesty International’s 2024 Jordan report said, 
“Thousands of individuals [have been prosecuted] for criticizing the authorities, expressing pro-Palestinian sentiments, or participating in peaceful protests.”

Lamis Andoni of The New Arab said this was a wider crackdown, not just one targeting the Muslim Brotherhood, and several activists were arrested in a period of a few days.

“Hamza was not just from the BDS, he was openly active and posting photos from legal demonstrations. But, Andoni said, “He did not do anything illegal.”

The Jordan Labor Party called Khader one of the “most intelligent, young politically active members of the BDS movement” and condemned the use of the Cybercrime Law to arrest him.

The Cybercrime Law itself came into effect one month before the October 7 attacks. According to Amnesty, hundreds have been charged since its implementation.

This includes journalist Hiba Abu Taha, who, in June 2024, was sentenced to a year in prison for using social media platforms to “spread false news or insult or defame a governmental authority or official body.” Abu Taha had written an 
article condemning Jordan’s interception of Iranian missiles aimed at Israel in April 2024.

She was also arrested in 2023 after she criticized King Abdullah for normalization with Israel.