Jordan prince says he’s confined, lashes out at authorities

The half-brother of Jordan’s King Abdullah II has stated he has been positioned below home arrest and accused the nation’s “ruling system” of incompetence and corruption, exposing a uncommon rift inside the ruling monarchy of an in depth Western ally.
Prince Hamzah’s videotaped assertion got here on Saturday after the nation’s official information company reported that two former senior officers and different suspects had been arrested for “security reasons,” at the same time as authorities denied that Hamzah had been detained or positioned below home arrest.
In a video leaked to the British Broadcasting Corp., Hamzah “a former crown prince stripped of his title in 2004” stated he was visited early Saturday by the nation’s army chief and advised he was not allowed to exit, talk with individuals or meet with them.
He stated his safety element was eliminated, and his cellphone and Internet service had been lower. He stated he was talking over satellite tv for pc Internet and anticipated that service to be lower as effectively. The BBC stated it acquired the assertion from Hamzah’s lawyer.
Hamzah stated he had been knowledgeable he was being punished for taking partly in conferences during which the king had been criticized, although he stated he was not accused of becoming a member of within the criticism.
He then lashed out on the “ruling system” with out mentioning the king by title, saying it had determined “that its personal interests, that its financial interests, that its corruption is more important than the lives and dignity and futures of the 10 million people that live here.”
“I’m not part of any conspiracy or nefarious organisation or foreign-backed group, as is always the claim here for anyone who speaks out,” he stated. “There are members of this family who still love this country, who care for (its people) and will put them above all else.”
“Apparently, that is a crime worthy of isolation, threats and now being cut off,” he added.
It is uncommon for a senior member of the ruling household to precise such harsh criticism of the federal government, and any signal of instability in Jordan is more likely to increase issues among the many nation’s Western allies.
Hamzah is a well-liked determine in Jordan. He is seen as non secular and modest, in contact with the frequent individuals and much like his beloved father, the late King Hussein. He has criticized the federal government previously, accusing officers of “failed management” after they accepted an revenue tax legislation in 2018.
The nation’s high basic had earlier denied that Hamzah was detained or below home arrest. Hamzah was requested to “stop some movements and activities that are being used to target Jordan’s security and stability,” Gen. Yousef Huneiti was quoted as saying by the official Petra information company.
He stated an investigation was ongoing and its outcomes could be made public “in a transparent and clear form.”
“No one is above the law, and Jordan’s security and stability are above all,” he added.
Petra had earlier reported that Sharif Hassan bin Zaid, a member of the royal household, and Bassem Ibrahim Awadallah, a former head of the royal court docket, have been detained. Awadallah additionally beforehand served as planning minister and finance minister and has non-public enterprise pursuits all through the Gulf area.
The company didn’t present additional particulars or title the others who have been arrested.
Abdullah has dominated Jordan because the 1999 loss of life of of his father, King Hussein, who dominated the nation for near a half-century. Abdullah has cultivated shut relations with U.S. and different Western leaders over time, and Jordan was a key ally within the warfare towards the Islamic State group. The nation borders Israel, the occupied West Bank, Syria, Iraq and Saudi Arabia.

“We are closely following the reports and in touch with Jordanian officials,” State Department spokesman Ned Price stated. “King Abdullah is a key partner of the United States, and he has our full support.”
Saudi Arabia’s official information company stated the dominion “confirmed its full support to Jordan and its king and crown prince in all decisions and procedures to maintain security and stability and defuse any attempt to affect them.”
Jordan’s financial system has been battered by the coronavirus pandemic. The nation, with a inhabitants of round 10 million, additionally hosts greater than 600,000 Syrian refugees.
Jordan made peace with Israel in 1994. The nations keep shut safety ties, however relations have in any other case been tense in recent times, largely as a result of variations linked to Israel’s battle with the Palestinians. Jordan is dwelling to greater than 2 million Palestinian refugees, most of whom have Jordanian citizenship. Israel’s Foreign Ministry declined remark.

Stability in Jordan and the standing of the king has lengthy been a matter of concern, notably throughout the Trump administration, which gave unprecedented assist to Israel and sought to isolate the Palestinians, together with by slashing funding for Palestinian refugees.
In early 2018, as then-President Donald Trump was threatening to chop support to nations that didn’t assist U.S. insurance policies, the administration boosted help to Jordan by greater than USD 1 billion over 5 years.
Abdullah stripped his half-brother Hamzah of his title as crown prince in 2004, saying he had determined to “free” him from the “constraints of the position” with the intention to enable him to tackle different obligations. The transfer was seen on the time as a part of Abdullah’s consolidation of energy 5 years after the succession.