Its security services Jordan arrested today a member of the royal family, a former adviser to him King Abdullah and other people, on “security-related” issues, the official Petra news agency reported.
Two sources familiar with the matter told Reuters that members of the security services had gone to the house of the king’s half-brother and former heir to the throne, Hamza, and were questioning him. It was clarified, however, that he has not been arrested. An official source also confirmed to Petra that Prince Hamza was not among those arrested.
The Washington Post reported that Jordanian authorities detained Hamza and arrested about 20 other people in a case involving a “threat to the country’s stability.”
In an effort to consolidate his power, the Abdullah deprived Hamza of the title of heir to the throne in 2004.
Among those arrested is Basem Awadala, who for many years was a confidant of the king and later became finance minister. Sharif Hassan bin Zayed, a member of the royal family, and other unidentified individuals were also arrested. The agency did not provide further details.
Arrests of high-ranking officials and members of the royal family are extremely rare in Jordan.
Awadala, who has studied in the US, has been the driving force behind economic reforms in his country. He resigned in 2008 from the position of chief of staff of the royal court. For a long time he faced strong reactions from the old guard and the deep-rooted bureaucracy of Jordan.
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