Jordan has officially banned the Muslim Brotherhood, the country’s most prominent opposition group, and ordered the closure and confiscation of its offices and assets, Interior Minister Mazen Farraya announced on Wednesday, 23 April.
The move comes just days after Jordanian authorities arrested 16 individuals, allegedly members of the group, accused of planning attacks inside the kingdom.
According to the government, the plot included manufacturing rockets and drones intended for use against security targets, with at least one missile reportedly ready for launch. Jordan attributed the plot to a Brotherhood-affiliated cell believed to have received training and funding in Lebanon.
Farraya stated that all activities by the Muslim Brotherhood, including publishing or promoting its ideology, are now illegal. He emphasized that the group’s continued actions posed a “direct threat” to national stability, adding that the organization had attempted to smuggle and destroy sensitive documents to conceal its operations.
“The Brotherhood’s practices endanger citizens’ lives and threaten Jordan’s security,” Farraya said in a televised statement.
There has been no immediate comment from Brotherhood leaders following the ban.
According to Jordan’s General Intelligence, the 16 suspects had been under surveillance since 2021. Last week’s raids uncovered what authorities described as a rocket manufacturing site and a drone-building facility hidden inside Jordanian neighborhoods.
Jordan has historically tolerated the Muslim Brotherhood, which operated legally in the country for decades and maintained a wide base of grassroots support.
Authorities have begun closing the group’s headquarters across governorates and confirmed the fast-tracking of asset confiscation in line with judicial rulings. The government also warned media outlets and civil society organizations against sharing any Brotherhood-related content, citing legal consequences.
Farah Samir
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