Ismail Alwahwah detained in Jordan

An activist with the organisation Hizb ut-Tahrir Australia has been detained without charge in Jordan.

Ismail Alwahwah, the leader of Hizb ut-Tahrir in Australia, was taken into custody last week after arriving in Amman, Jordan, with his wife.

Jordanian authorities have since denied him access to his family or to legal representation, despite not yet being charged with any crime.

Alwahwah suffers from various forms of illnesses such as diabetes and hypertension and recently underwent surgery.

In a letter sent to the Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs, Julie Bishop, Alwahwah’s son Anas Abu Malek said, “Ismail is an Australian citizen, and we are requesting the Australian government expend every effort to secure Ismail’s immediate release.

A petition calling for his release has so far garnered 4,400 signatures.