DUBAI – A schism of Jordan’s royal family erupted on Saturday, with the younger brother of the incumbent monarch saying he had actually been placed under house arrest and state media reported that senior officials had been detained as part of investigations. security.
In a BBC video, Prince Hamzah bin Hussein criticized efforts to silence him and criticized the government of his brother, King Abdullah, a major US ally, saying: “This country has stumbled on corruption, nepotism and in the wrong direction. ”
The prince – who was removed as Crown Prince, a position that put him next on the throne, by King Abdullah in 2004 – said some of his friends had been arrested and told not to leave his home. He said his security details had been removed and the internet and telephone lines had been cut off.
To date, more than 20 people have been arrested, mostly close allies of the prince, according to two elderly Arab envoys based in Jordan and another person familiar with the matter. The state-run Petra news agency quoted the country’s military chiefs of staff as saying the detainees were being held as part of “joint joint investigations by security forces”.
Jordanian authorities have told diplomats that they are investigating a foreign-backed plot to destabilize the country, the people said. In his video, Prince Hamzah said there was no such plot.