Riots break out in northern Jordan over detainee death

20 November 2011, 17:37 (GMT+04:00)

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Fresh riots broke out on Sunday in the Jordanian town of Ramtha, near the Syrian border, over the ambiguous death of a detainee three days ago, witnesses said, dpa reported.

Scores of rioters burnt tyres and cut off roads in the town, 90 kilometres north of Amman, over a report by an investigation panel into the death of Najm Zoabi, 20, who died during detention at a police post on Wednesday.

The police report said that the 20-year-old had used a blanket to hang himself and that the cause of death was "suffocation."

It sparked protests which were only calmed on Thursday when Prime Minister Awn Khasawneh visited Zoabi's family and pledged that his government would conduct a transparent investigation into his death.

Rioters said Sunday they wanted to know the real cause of death and said they suspected he had died under police torture.