Jordan's Prince Hamza bin Al-Hussein claims he has been placed under house arrest

4 April 2021, 12:44

The half-brother of Jordan's King Abdullah claims he has been placed under house arrest as part of a crackdown on those who are critical of how the country is run.

In a video leaked to the media, Prince Hamza bin Al-Hussein said he was visited by the country's military chief and told he was "not allowed to go out, to communicate with people or to meet with them".

He accused Jordan's "ruling system" of corruption and incompetence, and also said that his security detail has been removed and that his access to his phone and the internet has been cut.

Prince Hamza also said Jordan's "ruling system" had decided "that its personal interests, that its financial interests, that its corruption is more important than the lives and dignity and futures of the 10 million people that live here".

"I'm not part of any conspiracy or nefarious organisation or foreign-backed group, as is always the claim here for anyone who speaks out," he said.

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"There are members of this family who still love this country, who care for (its people) and will put them above all else."

He also said: "I am not the person responsible for the breakdown in governance, the corruption and for the incompetence that has been prevalent in our governing structure for the last 15 to 20 years and has been getting worse... And I am not responsible for the lack of faith people have in their institutions.

"It has reached a point where no-one is able to speak or express opinion on anything without being bullied, arrested, harassed and threatened."

The Jordanian military denied that Prince Hamzah was under house arrest, but has also said he was ordered to halt actions that could be used to target the country's "security and stability".

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It has also been reported that others detained include Bassem Awadallah, a former finance minister, and Sharif Hassan Bin Zaid, a member of the royal family.

Jordan, which borders Israel, the Palestinian territories, Syria, Iraq, and Saudi Arabia, is an ally of both the UK and the US

UK Minister for the Middle East & North Africa James Cleverly has tweeted: "We are following closely the events in Jordan.

"The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan is a greatly valued partner for the UK. King Abdullah has our full support."

King Abdullah has ruled the country since his father passed away in 1999. His father, King Hussein, ruled the country for nearly half a century.