NICOSIA (Cyprus) – Jordan’s former crown prince yesterday said he is under house arrest, but denied being part of any conspiracy against his half-brother King Abdullah II as he sharply criticised government corruption.
In a video sent to the BBC, Prince Hamzah Hussein said the army chief of staff visited him earlier in the day to tell him: “I was not allowed to go out, to communicate with people, or meet with them.”
He said a number of his friends have been arrested, his security removed, and his internet and phone lines cut.
But, he insisted that he is not part of a conspiracy, and “not responsible for the breakdown in governance, for the corruption, and for the incompetence that has been prevalent in our governing structure for the last 15 to 20 years, and has been getting worse”.
The BBC said it was sent the video by Hamzah’s lawyer, as news broke that a former top Jordanian royal aide was among several suspects arrested yesterday.
The army said it has cautioned Hamzah against damaging the country’s security, but denied he has been arrested.
“I am not part of any conspiracy or nefarious organisation,” the prince hit back in the video, adding that it is a “sad and unfortunate turn for a country that... was at the forefront of the region”.
He maintained that people are no longer allowed to criticise authorities or express an opinion “without being bullied, harassed or threatened”.
He accused the “ruling system” of believing that “its personal interests, that its financial interests, that its corruption, is more important than the lives and dignity and future of the 10 million people who live here”.
"Unfortunately, this country has become stymied in corruption, in nepotism, and in misrule, and the result has been the destruction or the loss of hope.”
Hamzah is the eldest son of the late King Hussein and his American wife Queen Noor. He has good relations officially with Abdullah, and is a popular figure close to tribal leaders.
Abdullah appointed Hamzah crown prince in 1999 in line with their father’s dying wish, but in 2004, stripped him of the title and gave it to his own eldest son, Hussein.
Official news agency Petra named Bassem Awadallah, chief of the royal court in 2007 and 2008, and Sherif Hassan Zaid as among an unspecified number of suspects arrested yesterday.
Sherif is a title given to those close to the Jordanian royal family.
The pair were detained for “security reasons” after a “close” operation, said Petra, quoting a security source. – AFP, April 4, 2021
