Authorities in Jordan on Saturday arrested former Crown Prince Hamza bin al-Hussein and arrested about 20 others after what they described as a “threat to the country’s stability”.
Prince Hamza bin Al-Hussein, the eldest son of the late Shah Al-Hussein of his fourth American wife, Queen Noor, was restricted at his palace in Amman.
Prince Hamza is investigating an alleged conspiracy to overthrow his older half-brother, King Abdullah II.
The move follows the discovery by palace officials of a “complex and wide-ranging conspiracy” involving at least one member of the Jordanian royal family, as well as tribal leaders and members of the country’s security establishment.
The intelligence official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said security arrests were expected, citing security sensitivities surrounding the law enforcement operation. A Jordanian adviser confirmed that the arrests were made in the face of a “threat to the country’s stability”.
Prince Hamza served as Jordan’s Crown Prince for four years before handing over the title to the current king’s eldest son.
The intelligence official said that Jordanian army officers informed Prince Hamza personally of his detention and even took him home with security forces as other arrests continued.
Extensive arrests have also been reported on Jordanian social media.
It is not clear how close the alleged conspirators were to the plan or what exactly they intended to do.
The intelligence official described the plot as “well-organized” and said the conspirators appeared to have “foreign relations”, although he did not elaborate.
Statement by the Armed forces of Jordan:
- Prince Hamza bin Hussein has not been arrested but has been asked to stop any activities that target the country’s security.
- Sharif Hassan bin Zayd, Bassem Ibrahim Awadullah and others arrested for ongoing investigation
- The investigation is ongoing and we will announce the results in full transparency.
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All steps are done within the framework of the law.