'Malicious plot foiled': Jordan accuses former prince of plotting to destabilise kingdom

Jordan’s Deputy Prime Minister Ayman Safadi on April 4 said that the former crown prince Hamzah bin Hussein was part of a plot to destabilize the kingdom and he was trying to mobilise tribal leaders against the government. While speaking at a news conference, Safadi said that the half brother to Jordanian King Abdullah II worked with “foreign entities” to destabilise the state. He added that Prince Hamza had also been liaising with foreign parties about destabilising the country and had been monitored for some time. 

The Prince had earlier released two videos to BBC in which he had claimed that he was being held under house arrest. Prince Hamah had denied the conspiracy and further accused Jordan’s leaders of corruption and incompetence. Following the video, sixteen people, including a former adviser to King Abdullah another member of the royal family, were arrested on Saturday for allegedly threatening security. 

In the videos, the former crown prince had said that he had been told he could not go out or communicate with people. "I recorded this video to make it clear that what has been said officially is not a reflection of what is actually happening on the ground," the Prince said in the clip. He denied reports and allegations made against him about any “wrongdoings”, and said that his unlawful arrest was a “part of the conspiracy”. 

However, on Sunday, Safadi said that Prince hamzah had used the videos to distort facts and incite empathy. He accused the prince of seeking to mobilise “clan leaders” against the government. But he also added that the plot had been “nipped in the bud”. 

Safadi even went on to allege that a man with links to foreign security services had offered Prince Hamzah’s wife, Princess Basmah, a flight out of Jordan. But the deputy PM did not specify which foreign security service was apparently involved. Safadi said that officials had tried to discourage the prince rather than take legal action against him, however, Prince Hamzah had “dealt with this request negatively”. Further, he noted that currently, the dialogue was ongoing. 

Mother of Prince says ‘justice will prevail’ 

Meanwhile, Prince Hamzah’s mother, American-born Queen Noor has said that she is praying for what she called innocent victims of “wicked slander”. While taking to Twitter, Queen Noor said, “Praying that truth and justice will prevail for all the innocent victims of this wicked slander. God bless and keep them safe”. However, following her tweet, another member of the royal family waded into the row and suggested that it was a dispute over succession right. 

According to BBC, in a now-deleted tweet, Princess Firyal, the ex-wife of the brothers' uncle, Prince Muhammad bin Talal, said, “The seemingly blind ambition of Queen Noor & her sons is delusional, futile, unmerited, false sense of entitlement. they all should know better. Such as the constitutional succession act, father to the eldest son, experienced with uninterrupted service record. Grow up Boys”. 

(Image: AP/Twitter)