Jordan Prince ‘under house arrest’ amid crackdown
The half-brother of Jordan’s King Abdullah II says he has been placed under house arrest and accused the kingdom’s “ruling system” of corruption, incompetence and harassment.
Prince Hamzah bin Al Hussein’s videotaped statement on Saturday came after Jordan’s military denied reports of the former crown prince’s arrest, but said he had been asked to “stop some movements and activities that are being used to target Jordan’s security and stability”.
The military said the warning to Prince Hamza was part of a broader, continuing security investigation in which a former minister, a junior member of the royal family and unnamed others were detained.
The prince, however, insisted he was not part of any conspiracy and said in a video passed to the BBC by his lawyer that he “was not allowed to go out, to communicate with people or to meet with them”.
Prince Hamzah said he had been informed he was being punished for taking part in meetings in which the king had been criticised, though he said he was not accused of joining in the criticism.
Earlier, army chief Yousef Huneiti denied reports the prince had been arrested but said he was told to “stop activities that are being exploited to target Jordan’s security and stability”.
He said an investigation is continuing and its results will be made public “in a transparent and clear form”.
Two people familiar with the situation told the Reuters news agency that security forces had arrived at the prince’s small palace and begun an investigation. King Abdullah dismissed Prince Hamza as heir to the throne in 2004 in a move that consolidated his power.
The Washington Post, citing a senior Middle Eastern intelligence official, said as many as 20 people were arrested. The detentions were part of an investigation into an alleged plot to unseat King Abdullah, it said.
A former United States official with knowledge of events in Jordan told Reuters the plot, which he described as credible and broad-based but not imminent, did not involve a “physical coup”. Rather, he said, those involved were planning to push for protests that would appear to be a “popular uprising with masses on the street” with tribal support.
Known as the Herak, the tribal figures have in recent weeks called for protests against corruption in a country hit hard by the impact of COVID-19 on the economy, pushing unemployment to record levels and deepening poverty.
The authorities had cracked down on several demonstrations, detaining dozens.
Jordan would investigate whether there was a foreign hand in the plot, said the former US official.
The US and several Arab countries voiced support for King Abdullah on Saturday.
We are closely following the reports and in touch with Jordanian officials,” US State Department spokesman Ned Price said. “King Abdullah is a key partner of the United States, and he has our full support.”
The Saudi royal court voiced its “full support” for King Abdullah and all decisions taken by him to maintain security and stability, while a spokesman for Egypt’s presidency wrote on Facebook that Cairo backed the king’s efforts “to maintain the security and stability of the kingdom against any attempts to undermine it”.
The United Arab Emirates, Lebanon, Bahrain, Iraq, Kuwait, Qatar, as well as the Arab League and the Gulf Cooperation Council also said they stood by King Abdullah.
Aljazeera
