AMMAN – The Deputy Prime Minister of Jordan said that the Jordanian authorities had neutralized what they said was a growing threat posed by a former crown prince who had criticized the government of his stepbrother, the king.
“As for the movements and threats they posed, they are completely under control,” Minister Ayman Safadi told The Wall Street Journal.
But a leaked audio recording raised new questions about the government’s narrative and could have complicated mediation efforts by older princes, who were expected to resolve a confrontation at the top of the Arab monarchy, usually discreetly. A government gag order announced on Tuesday against the local media discussing the royal family’s violation also fueled feelings that it remained unresolved.
A rift between King Abdullah II and Prince Hamzah broke out over the weekend, when the prince was effectively placed under house arrest and then accused by the government of undermining national security by contacting opposition figures from abroad, unnamed foreign entities and a former Royal Court. boss.
The prince denied the wrong deeds. Malik R. Dahlan, a longtime confidant of Prince Hamzah, declined to comment on Mr. Safadi’s comments. Mr Dahlan, who is a professional mediator and friend of the family, in a previous statement called the incident the result of “clumsy actions” by Jordainan officials and referred to the value of mediation and the rule of law.