The verdict was delivered on Sunday by Jordan’s State Security Court, which found the three defendants guilty of carrying out a terrorist attack that killed nine people and injured 25 others during a funeral ceremony at a Greek Orthodox church in Hammoud village, Karak governorate, on October 23.
The attack sent shockwaves across the predominantly Muslim kingdom after gunmen stormed the church during the funeral and opened fire on mourners, killing several people and leaving others wounded.
According to authorities, the three principal suspects, comprising two Jordanian brothers and their relative by marriage, fled after the shooting but were arrested three days later.
Officials identified the suspects as followers of a hardline Islamist ideology.
Confirming the judgment in a statement on Sunday, the Jordanian military said the State Security Court had sentenced the three men responsible for the attack to death.
“The State Security Court issued its ruling, sentencing to death the three criminals who carried out the terrorist attack” at the church, the military stated.
The defendants were convicted of several offences, including terrorist attacks resulting in death, weapons-related crimes, conspiracy to commit terrorist acts and promoting the ideology of a terrorist organisation.
The men participated in the closed-door court proceedings through video links from detention facilities, while security was reinforced around the courthouse during the hearing.
Reacting to the judgment, Amer Halaseh, a lawyer representing the victims’ families, said the verdict reflected the severity of the attack and the devastating consequences for the affected families.
“The ruling reflects the scale of the disaster and the terrorist crime that took place,” Halaseh said.
The court also sentenced two other men to six years in prison each for allegedly supplying weapons to the attackers, according to the lawyer.
Meanwhile, Jordan’s Christian community has cancelled its Christmas festivities following the tragedy.
The Council of Church Leaders announced the decision on Sunday, describing it as an expression of mourning and solidarity with the families of those killed.
The council declared the “cancellation of all Christmas celebrations” and urged churches across the country to observe the season quietly in remembrance of the victims.
However, church leaders encouraged congregations to retain their Christmas trees, describing them as symbols of hope, unity and peace.
They also urged Christians to “light candles in memory of the souls of the martyrs” as the community continues to mourn the victims.
The shooting has attracted widespread condemnation in Jordan, where Christians account for approximately three per cent of the population.
Following the attack, Jordan launched military operations against what it described as terrorist organisations operating in neighbouring Syria.
Jordanian authorities said the retaliatory strikes killed more than 20 jihadists. The military operations, however, reportedly triggered a brief diplomatic dispute between Amman and Damascus.
The latest violence has also revived memories of the deadly attacks that rocked Karak in 2016, most of which authorities attributed to the Islamic State (IS) extremist group.
