Former prince tried to destabilise govt, plot spoiled: Jordan

Hamzah Bin Al-Hussein. Pic/AFP

Jordanian authorities said on Sunday they foiled a "malicious plot" by a former crown prince to destabilise the kingdom with foreign support, contradicting the senior royal's claims that he was being punished for speaking out against corruption and incompetence.

Faced with rival narratives, the United States and Arab governments quickly sided with Jordan's King Abdullah II, reflecting the country's strategic importance in a turbulent region. Domestically, Prince Hamzah's unprecedented criticism of the ruling class - without naming the king - could lend support to growing complaints about poor governance and human rights abuses in Jordan. At the same time, the king's tough reaction - placing his popular half-brother under house arrest and accusing him of serious crimes - illustrated the limits on public dissent he is willing to tolerate.

"The kingdom's stability and security transcend everything," said Ayman Safadi, Jordan's foreign minister and deputy prime minister, as he accused Hamzah and two senior Jordanian officials of conspiring with foreign elements to destabilise the kingdom. "The plot is totally contained."

Yet Safadi's news conference on Sunday did little to address questions surrounding the weekend's dramatic events. In the night from Saturday to Sunday, Hamzah had announced in a secretly recorded video leaked to the media that he had been placed under house arrest.

Hamzah's mother, Noor, weighed in on Twitter, writing Sunday: "Praying that truth and justice will prevail for all the innocent victims of this wicked slander. God bless and keep them safe."

Abdullah and Hamzah are both sons of the late King Hussein, who remains a beloved figure two decades after his death. Upon ascending to the throne in 1999, Abdullah named Hamzah as crown prince, only to revoke the title five years later.

Hamzah says he won't obey army's orders

Jordan's former Crown Prince Hamzah said in a voice recording that he won't obey orders by the army not to leave the house or communicate with anyone. The army said Hamzah was asked to refrain from activities that could damage the Kingdom's stability.