Jordan arrests officials as part of ‘security’ investigations

Jordanian security forces have warned King Abdullah’s half-brother to stop “activities” used to target the nation’s security and stability as divisions within the western ally’s royal family were dramatically thrust into the open. 

Major Gen Yousef Huneiti, Jordan’s army chief, said the warning to Prince Hamzah bin Hussein, who was crown prince before being dismissed in 2004, was “part of joint comprehensive investigations undertaken by security agencies,” according to Petra, the state news agency. 

He denied a report that the former crown prince had been detained. But Prince Hamzah released a video, seen by the FT, in which he claimed he was under house arrest, while also launching a stinging attack against the ruling system, accusing it of corruption, nepotism and misrule. 

Prince Hamzah said the result of the government’s failings were the “loss of hope that is apparent in pretty much every Jordanian; the loss of hope in our future, the loss of dignity and a life under constant threat”.

An unknown number of other people were arrested as part of the security forces investigation, including Bassem Awadallah, a former finance minister and chief of staff to King Abdullah, and Sharif Hassan bin Zaid, a distant member of the royal family, Petra said.

Awadallah has in recent years been an adviser to Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

Prince Hamzah said he was visited by the army chief and told he was not allowed to leave his house or communicate with people because there had been criticism of the government or King Abdullah at meetings at which Prince Hamzah had been present, or on social media relating to visits he had made.

He said he was not accused of making the criticisms, but added that a number of people he knew, including friends, had been arrested. He said his internet and phone lines had been cut. 

Prince Hamzah said he made the recording to make it clear that he was not part of any “conspiracy or nefarious organisation or foreign backed group”. 

“What you see and hear in terms of the official line is not a reflection of the realities on the ground,” he said. “I’m 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, and has been getting worse by the year.”

The extraordinary events will raise concerns about the stability of Jordan, long regarded as an important western partner bordering Israel, Iraq and Jordan. King Abdullah, who is feted in Washington and London, is also seen as an important voice of moderation in the Middle East. 

But the crisis in the ruling family has erupted as Jordan faces increasing economic and social pressures, which have been exacerbated by the coronavirus pandemic. 

Gen Huneiti said “no one is above the law and that Jordan’s security and stability take precedence over any consideration.” He said the investigations were continuing. 

Shortly after the arrests were announced, the Saudi royal court released a statement saying it affirmed its full support to the “decisions” and “measures” taken by King Abdullah to “maintain security and stability”.

Other governments in the region issued similar statements backing the Jordanian monarch.

A spokesman for the US department of state said the US was closely following the reports and in touch with Jordanian officials.

“King Abdullah is a key partner of the United States, and he has our full support,” the spokesman said.

Jordan has long depended on financial support from western and Gulf states and it is grappling with declining revenues and debts that have soared to about 100 per cent of gross domestic project. 

Unemployment soared above 20 per cent last year as tourism, a key source of foreign currency earnings and jobs, and remittances were battered by the coronavirus outbreak. 

Last month, there were reports that a number of patients died after a state hospital ran out of oxygen, causing the Jordanian health minister to resign. 

In his video, Prince Hamzah said the country had been “stymied in corruption, in nepotism and in misrule”.

Additional reporting by Katrina Manson in Washington