The widow of Jordan’s late king has defended her son, former Crown Prince Hamza Bin Hussein, against allegations by the authorities that he carried out actions targeting “security and stability” in the kingdom.
The head of the armed forces visited the prince on Saturday and warned him over actions that people familiar with the matter said could be related to a plot to destabilise Jordan, and several high-profile figures were detained.
Jordan’s neighbours and allies expressed solidarity with King Abdullah over the security measures in the kingdom, an important ally of the United States.
Prince Hamza said in a video recording he was under house arrest and had been told to stay at home and not contact anyone, and Queen Noor, the widow of late King Hussein, said the authorities’ accusations against him were slander.
“Praying that truth and justice will prevail for all the innocent victims of this wicked slander,” she wrote on Twitter on Sunday. “God bless and keep them safe.”
Prince Hamza was dismissed as heir to the throne in 2004 by King Abdullah, his half-brother, in a move that consolidated the monarch’s power.
Although he has been sidelined, Prince Hamza has angered the authorities by building ties with disgruntled figures within powerful tribes.
Read the article in the Riverine Herald (AAP newswire)