Jordanian authorities arrested a member of the royal family among some 20 plotters conspiring to unseat King Abdullah II, according to the country’s official news agency.
Bassem Awadallah, a long-time confidant of the king who later became minister of finance, and Sharif Hassan Ben Zaid, a member of the royal family were detained along with other unnamed figures, the Petra news agencysaid.
Citing an unnamed intelligence official, the Washington Post reported earlier on Saturday that Prince Hamzah bin Hussein was “under restriction” at his Amman residence, yet a top official denied that Hamza had been detained.
“What has been published about the arrest of Prince Hamza is not true,” Joint Chiefs of Staff head Major General Yousef Huneiti said adding, however, that the prince had been “asked to stop some activities that could be used to shake the stability and security of Jordan.”
Hamza is the elder son of the late King Hussein and his American-born fourth wife, Queen Noor. He was named Crown Prince of Jordan in 1999, a position he held until Abdullah, his half-brother, rescinded it in 2004.
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