Two Jordanian brothers charged with murdering sisters

Two Jordanian brothers have been charged with murdering their two sisters in "honour killings", a court official said on Sunday.

The two men - aged 22 and 24 - were charged with murdering their sisters on Thursday evening in a town southwest of Jordan's capital Amman.

The official, who asked to remain anonymous, told AFP that brothers claimed they had killed the women - aged 20 and 34 - "to defend the family's honour".

"The two brothers were looking for their older sister, who had been away from the family home," he said.

"They found her in the house of the younger sister, who had married without the knowledge or consent of the family."

They shot the younger sister twice and the older one five times, including once to the head, the official said.

The younger sister's husband, who informed the brothers where the women were, was also arrested.

"The public prosecutor charged all three of the arrested men with murder," said the official.

Another source familiar with the investigation said the two brothers had "claimed during questioning that they had carried out the crime for honour".

Murder is punishable by death by hanging in Jordan, but courts usually commute or reduce sentences in so-called cases of "honour killings," particularly if the victim's family urges leniency.

Jordan sees between 15 to 20 cases of so-called honour killings a year.