Jordanian accused of insulting Islam shot dead outside court
Writer Nahed Hattar had been facing blasphemy charges over satirical Islamic State cartoon

Nahed Hattar, a Jordanian writer charged with offending Islam with a satirical cartoon he shared on Facebook, has been shot dead outside court in Amman.
The suspected gunman, identified by authorities as Riad Abdullah, 49, gave himself up to police shortly after the shooting. According to security sources, he was "known as an extremist", the Jordan Times says.
A member of the writer's family said he held Jordan's Prime Minister, Hani al-Mulki, responsible for Hattar's death.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
"The PM was the first one who incited against Nahed when he ordered his arrest and put him on trial for sharing the cartoon," Saad Hattar said. "That ignited the public against him and led to his killing."
Hattar was detained in August for 15 days on charges of insulting God, after he published the cartoon depicting "a bearded man lying in bed with two women and smoking, asking God to bring him a drink", the BBC says.
Hattar had defended the cartoon, saying it was not his intention to insult Islam but to expose how Isis "envisions God and heaven".
He was a "controversial figure on the left of Jordanian politics", The Guardian says. He had previously been charged with insulting the country's king.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
The ‘swag gap’: are you better than your partner?
In The Spotlight The viral terminology sheds light on power dynamics in modern relationships
-
Climate change is getting under our skin
Under the radar Skin conditions are worsening because of warming temperatures
-
The ‘Shakespearean bitterness’ of the thermostat wars
Talking Point ‘Genuine physiological differences’ mean women and men are at odds over temperatures at home
-
Sanae Takaichi: Japan’s Iron Lady set to be the country’s first woman prime minister
In the Spotlight Takaichi is a member of Japan’s conservative, nationalist Liberal Democratic Party
-
Russia is ‘helping China’ prepare for an invasion of Taiwan
In the Spotlight Russia is reportedly allowing China access to military training
-
Interpol arrests hundreds in Africa-wide sextortion crackdown
IN THE SPOTLIGHT A series of stings disrupts major cybercrime operations as law enforcement estimates millions in losses from schemes designed to prey on lonely users
-
China is silently expanding its influence in American cities
Under the Radar New York City and San Francisco, among others, have reportedly been targeted
-
How China uses 'dark fleets' to circumvent trade sanctions
The Explainer The fleets are used to smuggle goods like oil and fish
-
One year after mass protests, why are Kenyans taking to the streets again?
today's big question More than 60 protesters died during demonstrations in 2024
-
What happens if tensions between India and Pakistan boil over?
TODAY'S BIG QUESTION As the two nuclear-armed neighbors rattle their sabers in the wake of a terrorist attack on the contested Kashmir region, experts worry that the worst might be yet to come
-
Why Russia removed the Taliban's terrorist designation
The Explainer Russia had designated the Taliban as a terrorist group over 20 years ago