DUBAI: The schism of Jordan’s ruling royal family erupted on Saturday, with the reigning monarch’s younger brother saying he had been effectively placed under house arrest and state media reported that senior officials had been arrested as part of security investigations.
In a BBC video, Prince Hamzah bin Hussein denied efforts to silence him and criticized the government of his brother, King Abdullah, a major ally of the United States, saying: “This country has remained involved in corruption, nepotism and bad government. ”
The prince – who was deposed as heir apparent, a position that put him at the head of the throne by King Abdullah in 2004 – said some of his friends had been arrested and told him not to leave. house. He said his security details had been removed and that his internet and telephone lines had been cut off.
So far, more than 20 people have been detained, mostly close allies of the prince, according to two large Arab envoys based in Jordan and another person familiar with the matter. Jordan’s state-run Petra news agency quoted the country’s joint military chiefs as saying those arrested were being held as part of “joint investigations conducted by security forces.”
Jordanian authorities told diplomats they were investigating a foreign-backed plot to destabilize the country, these people said. In his video, Prince Hamzah said there was no such plot.