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JORDAN’S PRINCE HAMZAH SAYS HE IS UNDER HOUSE ARREST
- By The Financial District
- Apr 5, 2021
- 2 min read
Jordan's Prince Hamzah said that he was told by the head of the armed forces not to leave his house or communicate with people, in videos released to international broadcasters hours after the army denied the prince was under house arrest, Nehal El-Sherif reported for Deutsche Presse-Agentur (dpa).
The head of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Yousef Ahmed al-Hunaiti, denied reports that the former crown prince and King Abdullah's half-brother was under house arrest or detained. However, Hamzah released two videos shortly after contradicting the army's statement.
"I had a visit from the chief of general staff of the Jordanian armed forces this morning, in which he informed me that I was not allowed to go out, to communicate with people or to meet with them because in the meetings that I had been present in, or on social media relating to visits that I had made, there has been criticism of the government or the king," Hamzah said in a video published by the BBC, where he was speaking in English.
Hamzah said he was not accused of making the criticisms himself. He said his security has been removed and the internet and phone lines have been cut.
"This is my last form of communication, satellite internet," he said, adding that the company told him it was instructed to cut it as well.
"I am not the person responsible for the breakdown in governance, for the corruption, and for the incompetence that has been prevalent in our governing structure for the last 15 to 20 years," the prince added.
Hamzah, 41, was Jordan's crown prince between 1999 and 2004, when Abdullah removed him in favor of his son.
At the time, he said he would remain devoutly supportive of Abdullah in an official letter published by state media. A report by Washington Post said Hamzah was placed under house arrest amid an ongoing investigation into an alleged coup plot.
Al-Hunaiti denied this, but said that Hamzah was asked to refrain from activities that could be damaging to the kingdom's stability. Following "comprehensive investigations by security services," Hamzah was "asked to stop activities and movements that are employed to target the security and stability of Jordan," al-Hunaiti said in a statement. Another video, where he spoke in Arabic, was broadcast by Al Jazeera.
