Call for justice: A protester with a picture of Jordanian writer Nahed Hattar, during a sit-in on Monday.

Jordan’s judiciary on Monday slapped a media blackout on the murder of a Christian writer who was gunned down outside an Amman court where he faced charges over an anti-Islam cartoon.

The information ministry said the aim was to preserve “the secrecy of the investigation” and that the blackout applied to both social and traditional media.

Nahed Hattar was hit by three bullets before the alleged assassin was arrested at the scene of Sunday’s shooting in Amman’s central Abdali district, official media said.

The gunman, identified as a 49-year-old Jordanian, gave himself up to police, a security source said.

A judicial source said on Sunday that the assailant was remanded for 15 days and charged with premeditated murder, meaning that he could face the death penalty if convicted. The suspect had acted alone and was not linked to any “terrorist” group, a source close to his interrogation said, asking not to be named. Hattar faced charges over a cartoon posted on his Facebook page

Also, protesters called on Monday for Jordan’s government to resign over its failure to prevent the murder.

Hattar’s family has so far refused to collect his body for burial, charging that authorities were warned of threats to his life and had failed to act. </s> Story highlights Nahed Hattar shared a cartoon mocking jihadists' view of heaven

The cartoon prompted an outcry from some Muslim groups

(CNN) A prominent Jordanian writer facing charges for sharing a "blasphemous" anti-ISIS cartoon that outraged Muslim groups was fatally shot in Amman on Sunday, state news agency Petra reported.

Nahed Hattar, a member of the country's Christian minority, was shot three times outside a courthouse in the capital where charges against him were being heard.

Public Security Department personnel, who were near the scene of the attack, rushed Hattar to a nearby hospital, but he died from his injuries, Petra reported.

The security forces arrested the attacker and an investigation is underway, Petra reported.

Cartoon 'abusive to the divine entity'

Read More </s> Hundreds of demonstrators gathered near the Prime Minister's office after writer Nahed Hattar was shot by a former Muslim preacher on the steps of the palace of justice on Sunday. The assailant gave himself up to the police near the scene.

"No to extremism, no to violence," and "Down with the government," shouted protesters carrying pictures of the slain writer, known for his support for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and extremist nationalist views.

His death has shaken a country unaccustomed to such killings and raised fears of tensions between Muslims and the minority Christians who wield political and economic influence.

Hattar was arrested last month after sharing on social media a cartoon image of a bearded man in heaven smoking in bed with women and asking God to bring him wine and clear away his dishes.

The writer was released on bail but charged with contempt of religion and inflaming religious tension under the country's strict blasphemy laws.

Family members said the government failed to provide Hattar him with protection after he was released on bail, even after he had received death threats. They have so far refused to collect his body for burial.

"We demand at the very least the dismissal of the prime minister," Khaled Hattar, the writer's brother, told Reuters at the protest.

A source familiar with the case said the gunman had told interrogators that he acted on his own.

Jordanians have condemned the killing, although the cartoon had angered many people in a majority Muslim country where Hattar was accused of disseminating hatred and mocking Islam.

Hattar was a controversial figure whose calls for depriving Jordanians of Palestinian descent their political rights had won him many enemies in a country with a large Palestinian population.

His killing, however, has worried many liberal Muslims and Christians who now fear radical Islamists may feel emboldened to take violent action against their opponents.

UK-based rights group Amnesty International on Monday said the killing "was a deplorable attack on freedom of expression", saying strict blasphemy laws should be revoked. It called on the authorities to investigate the murder.

"Jordanian authorities must make it clear that attacks against people who peacefully express their views, however unpopular, will not be tolerated," said Philip Luther, Research and Advocacy Director for the Middle East and North Africa at Amnesty International in a release on Monday. </s> Nahed Hattar, a member of the country's Christian minority, was shot three times outside a courthouse in the capital where charges against him were being heard.

Public Security Department personnel, who were near the scene of the attack, rushed Hattar to a nearby hospital, but he died from his injuries, Petra reported.

The security forces arrested the attacker and an investigation is underway, Petra reported.

Hattar, a political commentator and columnist, was remanded in custody last month after sharing a controversial cartoon on Facebook that sparked anger from Muslim groups. Amman Governor Khaled Abu Zeid ordered that the writer be held for the "blasphemous" Facebook post, Petra reported. Hattar was charged with the crimes of insulting religion, and inciting "sectarian strife and racism," for having posted the image, which was deemed as "abusive to the divine entity," Petra reported at the time. The cartoon, which Hattar said was intended to ridicule ISIS beliefs, depicted a bearded man in bed with two women in heaven as he instructs God to serve him wine and food. Hours after sharing the cartoon, Hattar explained on social media that it was aimed at criticizing the twisted view of paradise held by ISIS, according to Randa Habib, Amnesty International's regional director for the Middle East and North Africa. "No one listened," she tweeted after his killing Sunday. The slain writer, who was released on bail earlier this month, had been "a controversial figure because of his blunt positions and passionate ideas. His killing is a low criminal act," Habib wrote. Hattar had also attracted controversy for writing articles in support of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. #NahedHattar was a controversial figure because of his blunt positions and passionate ideas. His killing is a low criminal act #RIP — Randa HABIB (@RandaHabib) September 25, 2016 A gag order issued by Jordan's attorney general in August prevented coverage of the case. The Prime Minister's office in Jordan denounced the killing on its official Twitter page Sunday. Government spokesman Mohammad al-Momani said he was confident the person responsible for "this ignominious crime" would receive "just punishment." Jordan is a leading Arab member of the US-led coalition fighting ISIS in neighboring Syria and Iraq, carrying out airstrikes against the terror group and hosting coalition troops on its soil. </s> AMMAN, Jordan — The extremist Islamic State group has claimed responsibility for a series of shooting attacks in Jordan that killed nine Jordanians and a Canadian tourist.

The U.S.-based SITE Intelligence Group, which monitors militant Internet traffic, forwarded the Arabic-language claim to reporters on Tuesday. It wasn't immediately clear where the claim was released.

Sunday's shootings took place in the central Jordanian town of Karak.

Linda Vatcher, a 62-year-old from Newfoundland, was killed in the attack. She had recently travelled to the Middle East to spend Christmas with her son, Chris, who was reportedly working as a teacher in the region.

Hours after the initial attack, four gunmen were shot and killed by Jordanian security forces during a standoff at Karak Castle, a Crusader fortress and tourist destination.

The Islamic State claim said that "four soldiers of the Caliphate" armed with and hand grenades carried out the attacks.

The group set up a self-declared "caliphate" in parts of Syria and Iraq after seizing the territory in 2014. </s> AMMAN, Jordan (AP) — Two Jordanians were killed and an Israeli was wounded by gunfire Sunday in a residential building in the heavily fortified Israeli embassy compound in Jordan’s capital, the kingdom’s Public Security Directorate said.

Before the shooting, Jordanians had entered the apartment building for carpentry work, the statement said.

It did not say what triggered the shooting.

Three people were initially wounded in the incident, the security agency said. Two Jordanians later died, according to the agency and the news site Hala Akhbar, linked to the Jordanian military.

One of the Jordanians killed was a physician at the scene, the security agency said.

The Israeli was in “unstable” condition, the new site said.

The Israeli Foreign Ministry had no comment.

The incident comes at a time of mounting tensions between Israel and the Muslim world over metal detectors Israel installed at a Jerusalem shrine revered by Muslims and Jews.

Jordan is the Muslim custodian of the site. On Friday, thousands of Jordanians staged an anti-Israeli protest in Amman. </s> AMMAN, Jordan — Two Jordanians were killed and an Israeli was wounded by gunfire Sunday in a residential building at the Israeli embassy compound in Jordan’s capital, the kingdom’s Public Security Directorate said.

Israeli media reported Monday that an Israeli security guard opened fire after a Jordanian worker attacked him with a screwdriver. The worker and the Jordanian owner of the building were wounded and later died, the reports said.

Jordan’s security agency confirmed that Jordanians had entered the apartment building for carpentry work.

The statement said the building was in the Israeli embassy compound, but the Israeli media reports indicated that the building was not part of the compound.

The Jordanian security agency did not say what triggered the shooting.

Three people were initially wounded, the security agency said. Two Jordanians later died, according to the agency and the news site Hala Akhbar, which is linked to the Jordanian military.

One of the Jordanians killed was a physician at the scene, the security agency said.

The Israeli was in “unstable” condition, the news site said.

The Israeli Foreign Ministry had no comment.

The incident comes at a time of mounting tensions between Israel and the Muslim world over metal detectors Israel installed at a Jerusalem shrine revered by Muslims and Jews.

Jordan is the Muslim custodian of the site. On Friday, thousands of Jordanians staged an anti-Israeli protest in Amman. </s> AMMAN, Jordan — Three people, including an Israeli man, were wounded by gunfire Sunday in a residential building in the heavily fortified Israeli embassy compound in Jordan’s capital, the kingdom’s Public Security Directorate said.

Before the shooting, Jordanians had entered the apartment building for carpentry work, the statement said.

One of the Jordanians was critically wounded and later died at a hospital, according to Hala Akhbar, a news site linked to the Jordanian military. The site said the Israeli man was in “unstable” condition.

A Jordanian security official confirmed that a Jordanian had been killed and an Israeli wounded. He spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss the incident with the media.

The Israeli Foreign Ministry had no immediate comment.

The incident comes at a time of mounting tensions between Israel and the Muslim world over metal detectors Israel installed at a Jerusalem shrine revered by Muslims and Jews.

Jordan is the Muslim custodian of the site. On Friday, thousands of Jordanians staged an anti-Israeli protest in Amman. </s> Jordan hanged 15 death row prisoners including convicted “terrorists” at dawn on Saturday, its information minister said, in a further break with a moratorium on executions it observed between 2006 and 2014.

Ten of those put to death had been convicted of terrorism offences and five of “heinous” crimes including rape, Mahmud al-Momani told the official Petra news agency.

The attorney general for Amman district, Ziad al-Dmour, said the executions represented “a clear message to anyone who tries to undermines the security of the nation”.

Amnesty International, however, expressed shock at the hangings of 15 prisoners — the largest number to be put to death on a single day in Jordan.

“The horrific scale and secrecy around these executions is shocking,” said Amnesty’s deputy director at the group’s Beirut regional office, Samah Hadid.

Momani said all those executed were Jordanians and were hanged in Swaqa prison, south of the capital Amman.

Among the terrorism offences were a 2006 attack on tourists at Amman’s Roman amphitheatre that killed a Briton and a June 2016 attack on an intelligence service base north of the capital that left five agents dead.

They also included the September 2016 murder of Christian writer Nahed Hattar as he stood trial for publishing a cartoon deemed offensive to Islam.

King Abdullah II had said in 2005 that Jordan aimed to become the first Middle Eastern country to halt executions in line with most European nations.

Courts continued to hand down death sentences but they were not carried out.

However, public opinion blamed a rise in crime on the policy and in December 2014 Jordan hanged 11 men convicted of murder, drawing criticism from human rights groups.

Opinion hardened after the murder by the Islamic State (IS) group of captured Jordanian pilot Maaz al-Kassasbeh whose plane had crashed in a jihadist-held region of Syria in December 2014 while serving with a US-led coalition.

Grisly footage posted in February the following year of him being burnt alive in a cage outraged the public.

Swiftly afterwards, Jordan hanged two people convicted of terrorism offences, one of them Sajida al-Rishawi.

She had taken part in a 2005 suicide attack on luxury hotels in Amman organised by IS’s forebear, Al-Qaeda in Iraq, but her explosives failed to detonate.

According to judicial sources, 94 people remain on death row in Jordan, most of them convicted of murder or rape, following Saturday’s executions.

Dmour, the Amman attorney general, said executions were “the fate of all those who carry out criminal offences”.

But Amnesty International warned that the death penalty was not the way to improve security.

“This is a major step backwards for both Jordan and efforts to end the death penalty – a senseless and ineffective means of administering justice,” Hadid said in a statement.

“Jordan had for years been a leading example in a region where recourse to the death penalty is all too frequent… Hanging people will not improve public security,” Hadid added.

Jordan, which hosts hundreds of thousands of refugees from the conflict in Syria, carries out air strikes on IS in both Syria and Iraq as a member of the US-led coalition.

The pro-Western kingdom fears a spillover of the jihadist threat and closely monitors thousands of Jordanians suspected of being IS or Al-Qaeda sympathisers.

In June 2016, a car bomb at a crossing from Syria, claimed by IS, killed seven Jordanian security personnel. Amman has responded by sealing the border.
A Muslim preacher from a local mosque shoots and kills Jordanian writer and cartoonist Nahed Hattar in front of a courthouse in the capital Amman. Authorities take the gunman into custody.