Former Crown Prince Hamzah bin Hussein, who is also the half-brother of King Abdullah of Jordan (pictured), has been questioned about a possible plot against members of the royal family. He says he has been placed under house arrest by the military, as he is not allowed to have contact with anyone. According to the state news agency Petra Hamza was questioned for security reasons.
In Jordan, the royal family still wields significant political power. Senior officials and members of the royal family are rarely arrested in Jordan, a country seen as one of the most stable in the region. This makes Hamza’s imprisonment and interrogation of other members of the royal family remarkable.
Washington Post And a news agency Reuters The report cites sources as an attempt by Hamza to destabilize the country. He is said to have prepared a coup d’état with the support of about twenty others. King Abdullah, who is favorably inclined toward the West, exempted Hamza from the position of heir to the throne in 2004, cementing his position in power.
The interrogation will be part of an ongoing security investigation. Approximately twenty people were arrested as part of this, according to reports Petra. Among them is the former Minister of Finance Bassem Awadallah and a member of the royal family, Sharif Hassan bin Zaid.
Hamza sent a critical video message while he was under house arrest
Hamza left Saturday evening, according to the TV channel Al Jazeera You know in a video message that he’s under house arrest. The army command could have told him that he should not contact anyone. The former crown prince says his security has been taken over and his internet, as well as his phone connection, shut down.
Hamza denies being involved in a plot against his half-brother, but is critical of the current regime. “I am not the person responsible for the collapse of the board of directors, for the corruption and inefficiency that has dominated our board of directors over the past fifteen to twenty years.”
After the arrests, King Abdullah received statements of support from Saudi Arabia and the United States, among other countries.
