Jordan's king orders release of detainees over fuel subsidies

King Abdullah II of Jordan on Monday ordered the government to release those detained during recent protests that erupted in the country after the decision to lift fuel subsidies, the state-run Petra news agency reported. "The government started taking all the necessary legal measures to start releasing the detainees," Samih Maaytah, Minister of States for Media Affairs, said Monday. The minister stressed on the government's respect for peaceful demonstrations that are in line with the Constitution, adding that about 116 detainees have already been released. Nationwide protests took place across Jordan last month when the government ended subsidies on fuel derivatives. The government distributed cash payments to some Jordanian families after ending the subsidies, but some protests still turned violent, leading to the death of two Jordanian policemen and a citizen and dozens of injuries.