Jordanian authorities said on Sunday that they had ruined a “malicious plot” by a former crown prince to destabilize the kingdom with foreign support, contradicting the prince’s claims that he had been punished for speaking out against corruption and incompetence.
Faced with opposing narratives, the United States, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Qatar, Oman and Kuwait quickly joined King Abdullah of Jordan, reflecting the country’s strategic importance in a turbulent region.
Internally, Prince Hamzah’s unprecedented criticism of the ruling class, without naming the king, could be the basis for growing complaints about poor governance and human rights abuses in Jordan.
At the same time, the monarch’s harsh reaction – putting his popular stepbrother under house arrest and accusing him of serious crimes – illustrated the limits of the public dissent he is willing to tolerate.
“The stability and security of the kingdom outweighs everything,” said Ayman Safadi, foreign minister and deputy prime minister, accusing Hamzah and two senior officials of conspiring with foreign elements to destabilize the kingdom. “The plot is completely contained.”
However, Safadi’s press conference on Sunday did not address the dramatic events of the weekend. On Saturday night, Hamzah said in a secret video released to the press that he was under house arrest.
Abdullah and Hamzah are the sons of the late King Hussein, who remains a beloved figure two decades after his death. When he ascended the throne in 1999, Abdullah appointed Hamzah as heir apparent, but he retired five years later. While the two are said to have good relations in general, Hamzah has sometimes spoken out against government policies and, more recently, has forged strong tribal leaders in a move seen as a threat to the king.
In his video, Hamzah, 41, accused Jordan’s ruling class of corruption and suppression of free speech.
Safadi did not provide details about the alleged plot, nor did he say what other countries were involved. However, he said that between 14 and 16 Hamzah associates were arrested, in addition to two high-ranking officials, Bassem Awadallah and Sharif Hassan bin Zaid, a member of the royal family.
Labib Kamhawi, a Jordanian political analyst, said strong support for Abdullah reflects his good general relations in the region, as well as concern that similar issues could affect other countries.