Prince Hamzah bin Hussein placed under house arrest in Jordan

Prince Hamzah bin Hussein, half-brother of Jordan’s King Abdullah II, says he has been placed under house arrest as part of a crackdown on critics. 

In a video message, Prince Hamzah, a former crown prince, said he was told that he is not allowed to go out, to communicate with people or to meet with them. He said, he was not part of any foreign conspiracy and denounced the governing system as corrupt.

 

Earlier, Jordan's army chief General Yousef Huneiti, had denied reports of the prince arrest. He had said an



investigation is still continuing and its results will be made public in a transparent and clear form. The military said the warning to Prince Hamza was part of a broader, ongoing security investigation in which a former minister, a junior member of the royal family and unnamed others were detained.

 

The move comes after a visit by the prince to tribal leaders where he is said to have garnered some support. King Abdullah had dismissed Prince Hamza as heir to the throne in 2004 in a move to consolidated his power.