Jordan: Prince Hamzah bin Hussein placed under house arrest

In Jordan,Prince Hamzah bin Hussein has been placed under house arrest as part of a crackdown on critics. In a video message, Prince Hamzah, a former crown prince, said he was told that he is not allowed to go out, to communicate with people or to meet with them. He said, he was not part of any foreign conspiracy and denounced the governing system as corrupt. Hamzah is the half brother og Jordan’s King Abdullah II, 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”. He has criticised the government in the past, accusing officials of “failed management” after they approved an income tax law in 2018.
Earlier, Jordan's army chief General Yousef Huneiti, had denied reports of the prince arrest. He had said an investigation is still continuing and its results will be made public in a transparent and clear form. The military said the warning to Prince Hamza was part of a broader, ongoing security investigation in which a former minister, a junior member of the royal family and unnamed others were detained.The move comes after a visit by the prince to tribal leaders where he is said to have garnered some support. King Abdullah had dismissed Prince Hamza as heir to the throne in 2004 in a move to consolidated his power. Prince Hamzah became crown prince when his father passed away in 1999. 

However, King Abdullah II stripped him of this title five years later and gave it to his eldest son. The official Petra news agency reported that Sharif Hassan bin Zaid, a member of the royal family, and Bassem Ibrahim Awadallah, a former head of the royal court, were detained. Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, Lebanon, Qatar, Turkey, Iraq, and the Arab League all voiced support for King Abdullah II. The US said: “King Abdullah is a key partner of the United States, and he has our full support.”