AMMAN, Jordan, Feb. 6 (UPI) -- Jordanian authorities have arrested a local journalist for assaulting a policeman, who is also incarcerated for hitting the reporter.
The prosecution Tuesday refused to grant bail for Khaled al-Khawaja, a reporter for Jordan's mass-circulation al-Rai daily, which has the largest distribution in the kingdom and is partially owned by the government.
The journalist was last week hospitalized after he was allegedly assaulted by the policeman while the reporter was on an assignment. Khawaja filed a complaint against the cop and is said to have been in detention since then.
However, the policeman then filed a complaint against the journalist, accusing him of having "started the fight" that also landed the cop in hospital.
President of the Jordan Press Association Tarek al-Momani told United Press International that while the complaint against his colleague was not related to free press issues, the syndicate is seeking to secure Khawaja's release.
The journalist's arrest comes as the local media is involved in a battle with the 110-seat Parliament to amend a restrictive press law so that it bans the imprisonment of journalists.
Jordanians often complain of police abuse and human rights organizations have reported torture of suspects in police prisons.
