The king of Jordan breaks the silence after the royal drama takes over the country

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The saga began over the weekend, when Jordanian authorities arrested about 15 people, including a high-profile political figure and at least one member of the royal family. A popular prince, Hamzah bin Al Hussein, claimed to have been placed under effective house arrest in a video sent to the media.
Authorities alleged that Prince Hamzah was part of a plot backed by unnamed foreign entities to “destabilize” the kingdom, a claim he denied.

“The sedition came from inside and outside our only home, and nothing compares to my shock, pain, and anger as a brother and as the head of the Hashemite family and as the leader of this proud people.” , King Abdullah said in a written statement released Wednesday.

Faced with speculation about the whereabouts of Prince Hamzah, who is Abdullah’s half-brother, the king said the popular royal was “with his family in his palace, in my charge.”

He also said that “sedition” in the kingdom had been “uprooted.”

What Prince Hamzah said

Prince Hamzah was the Crown Prince of Jordan for five years after the death of his father, King Hussein, in 1999. In 2004, King Abdullah withdrew his title of heir and later appointed him Prince Hussein bin Abdullah to his then teenage son as Crown Prince. (…)

In video recordings broadcast on the BBC last weekend, Prince Hamzah denied allegations of an anti-government plot, punished the country’s leadership and said he was under effective house arrest with the internet and that they had been arrested. deleted phone lines.

But the debacle seemed to end on Monday evening when the royal court of Jordan released a document signed by Hamzah that promised allegiance to the king.

“The national interest must be maintained above all else, and we must all stand behind His Majesty the King in his efforts to safeguard Jordan and his national interests and ensure the best for the Jordanian people.” says the letter, which contains the Prince’s head on it.

Jordan bans social media talks on royal family drama as king tries to draw line under crisis

Jordanian authorities have also provided a media gag order on the case of Prince Hamzah, which has allowed him to chat again on social media about an issue that has polarized Jordanians.

Jordan is mired in economic trouble amid a growing outcry over alleged government corruption and mismanagement. Anger has been growing among its young people, who represent the majority of the population, over the state of a deteriorating economy made worse by the pandemic.

Unemployment and poverty rates have reached record highs. Discontent has driven Jordanians into the streets, but tolerance of protests has declined significantly.

CNN’s Eyad Kourdi, Caroline Faraj, Hamdi Alkhshali and Zeena Saifi contributed to this report.

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