Jordan’s elderly home owner sued over ‘prison cells’: report

The owner of a home for the elderly in Jordan’s capital, Amman, has been referred to the prosecutor, after discovering prison cells within the facility, The Jordan Times reported on Tuesday.

An inspection committee from the Ministry of Social Development was checking on elderly homes earlier this month when they learned that the private facility in the region of Wadi Seer had an extension made up of four prison cells. Each cell had a bed and bathroom with soundproof walls, and was used to punish residents.

“The owner of the home claimed that the prison cells had never been used and were only built to contain elderly people’s violent behavior,” said Rakan Saideh, a spokesperson of another committee entrusted with investigating abuses in care centers. Saideh was quoted by The Jordan Times as saying that the prosecutor general is the only person who could determine if the cells were used or not.

He also said the inspection committee suggested that the Ministry of Social Development and security personnel had sealed the extension with red wax to ensure nobody enters the area until after the investigation has been completed.

The BBC aired a documentary two months ago about children subjected to regular violence in private special education centers in Jordan. King Abdullah responded by paying unannounced visits to various private centers and requested the government to investigate all facilities that offer services to disabled people.