Jordan has passed a draft law approving six-month jail terms for anyone attempting suicide, in addition to a fine of 100 Jordanian dinars.
Jordan’s House of Representatives approved the draft law, last week, which states, “whoever attempts to commit suicide in a public place by committing any of the actions that usually lead to death shall be punished by imprisonment, and the penalty will be doubled if it was a mass suicide, in which numerous people are involved.”
Experts in social and mental health institutions hugely criticized the law, and described the decision as “cruel”, noting that the Arab World is “in dire need” of mental health awareness.
Jordan has seen a spike in suicide attempts in recent years, as 593 people have suicided in 2021, compared to 143 in 2020.
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