King’s Jordan’s Half Brother Announces House Arrest Following Conspiracy Charges

© Associated Press

Prince Hamza of Jordan said the leader of the armed forces had told him not to leave his home, not to communicate and not to meet with anyone. Former heir to the throne Hamza sent a video to the BBC through his lawyers hours after receiving information about dozens of detainees for plotting against King Abdullah II.

Although authorities denied such information, the military confirmed that high-ranking Jordanians had been detained as part of an ongoing investigation, including a former finance minister and a member of the royal family. Minister Bassen Awadallah, close to the king, also works as an advisor to the heir to the Saudi throne, Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

Publications in regional and American media speak of the participation of representatives of the monarchy, tribal leaders and politicians. The Washington Post quoted a Jordanian official as saying the plot was supported “from the outside.”

An island of stability

Jordan has long been considered an island of stability in a difficult region. The United States, for which it is an important ally (including in operations against the Islamic State), expressed support for King Abdullah, and in March Washington and Amman signed a new agreement that gives US forces in the country freedom to move to across Jordan.

The country maintains a balance with other major players: Russia, China, the Arab monarchies in the Persian Gulf. Yet nationally, dissatisfaction with the government is growing, in part due to deepening economic woes, which the coronavirus crisis has only exacerbated by driving unemployment to record highs.

“I am not responsible for the corruption”

The army denied that Prince Hamza was under house arrest and the Chief of the General Staff, Youssef Ahmed al-Hunayti, explained that he had told him to refrain from taking any action against the “security and stability” of the kingdom.

Prince Hamza claims otherwise. According to him, Al Hunaiti told him that he could not go out and communicate with anyone, they cut off his phone and this will happen with the satellite connection he uses.

Hamza bin Hussein has been heir to the throne since 1999, when his half brother Abdullah II took power. In 2004, however, the king said that although he had complied with his father’s will five years earlier, Hamza’s position had hampered him and limited his ability to perform important duties for the country. Considered a favorite of his late father (King Hussein), the prince is the eldest son of his fourth wife, Queen Nur, who was born in the United States.

© Associated Press

The prince was not considered a threat to the power he had been held back from for years. However, he is known for repeatedly criticizing the government, which he calls Corumiprano.

He did the same in the last video, but denied being part of any conspiracy. He said the country was “ranked second by a system of government that decided that its personal interests, financial interests and corruption were far more important than the lives, dignity and future of the 10 million people who live here.”

For Reuters, a former US official familiar with the events in Jordan, the information about the plot is reliable, but it is not a “physical blow”, but rather to incite protests that look like a “popular uprising with the masses in the street.” “Tribal support. Tribal affiliation is very important in Jordan’s security forces, and support for the monarchy depends on it.