teleSUR – Jordan’s former Crown prince Hamzah bin Hussein and 20 other prominent members of the ruling elite have been arrested in Amman Saturday, for reportedly being involved in a coup attempt against king Abdullah II.
Sharif Hassan bin Zaid, a member of the royal family, and Bassem Awadallah, who once ran the royal court are among the detainees.
In a communique, Jordanian intelligence described the plot as “very well organized and linked to foreign countries”.
Numerous troops were deployed around government and royal compounds after the announcement.
The prince was confined under house arrest. Hamzah, who was removed from his role as crown prince in 2004, published a video reporting that he had been notified by top military and police officers of his home arrest for attending meetings critical of the government and king.
“I’m not the person responsible for the breakdown in governance, for the corruption, and for the incompetence that have been prevalent in our governing structure for the last 15 to 20 years”, Hamzah states in the video.
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