How to be free and unfree in Jordan

Abdullah, king of Jordan, has let it be known that he believes in a free press. His government has also announced that it plans to introduce a bill to eliminate prison sentences for journalism-related crimes. Both the royal sentiments and the change of law come too late for the two newspaper editors sentenced on Tuesday to two months in jail for "attacking religious sentiment" because they reprinted cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad. Then again, in February, the king did condemn the cartoons as a crime that "could not be justified on the pretext of freedom of expression." (Via jurist.law.pitt.edu)