DUBAI – A schism in Jordan’s ruling royal family erupted on Saturday, with the ruling monarch’s younger brother saying he was actually placed under house arrest and state media reporting that senior officials had been detained as part of security investigations.
In a video broadcast on the BBC, Prince Hamzah bin Hussein condemned attempts to silence him and criticized the government of his brother, King Abdullah, a key US ally, saying, “This country has been thwarted in corruption, favoritism and mismanagement. “
The prince – who was removed as crown prince, a position that next put him in line for the throne by King Abdullah in 2004 – said several of his friends had been arrested and told not to leave his home. He said his security detail had been removed and his internet and phone lines were disconnected.
According to two senior Arab envoys in Jordan and another person familiar with the case, more than 20 people, mostly close allies of the prince, have been detained so far. Jordanian state news agency Petra quoted the chief of the country’s military chiefs of staff as saying that the arrested people were being held as part of “joint comprehensive investigations by the security forces.”
Jordanian authorities told diplomats they were investigating a foreign-backed plot to destabilize the country, these people said. In his video, Prince Hamzah said there was no such plot.