Jordanian MP Emad al-Adwan charged with 'weapons smuggling' to occupied West Bank

Emad al-Adwan, a Jordanian MP detained by Israeli border police for allegedly smuggling hundreds of firearms and 100 kilos of gold into the West Bank, was charged by a Jordanian court on Tuesday.

The MP appeared before the state security court and was questioned by a prosecutor, his lawyer, Ali al-Mubaeedin, said.

He is being charged with exporting weapons with the intention of illegal use, and committing acts likely to disrupt public order and threaten national security, Mubaeedin said.

Adwan was arrested on 22 April while crossing the Israeli-controlled crossing from Jordan to the West Bank after Israeli border police allegedly found over 200 weapons and 100 kilos of gold in his car.

His arrest sparked a wave of outrage in Jordan, where the MP was lionised as a hero for his support of the Palestinian struggle against Israeli occupation.

It also kicked off a flurry of diplomacy between Jordan and Israel as the former sought the return of the Jordanian MP, seeking to avoid a public trial in Israel.

Jordanian parliament voted to lift Adwan's parliamentary immunity on 7 May, shortly after Israel returned the MP to Jordan.

Despite the charges and diplomatic kerfuffle, Adwan has remained a popular figure within Jordan.

"I’m not satisfied with the state's response. The conditions imposed by the Israelis for Adwan's return are unacceptable. He shouldn't be tried," MP Salah al-Armouti, who voted against the lifting of Adwan's immunity, told The New Arab.

Al-Armouti contrasted the charging of Adwan to the Israeli handling of the embassy security guard who killed two Jordanians in 2017 who was given a hero’s welcome by the Israeli PM upon his return.

Israeli-border police allege that Adwan smuggled weapons across the border using his diplomatic passport in exchange for "large sums of money."

Agencies contributed to this report.