Queen Noor of Jordan has slammed what she called "wicked slander", amid a reported coup plot in the country and an arrest and video statement by her son, former Crown Prince Hamzah bin Hussein.
Praying that truth and justice will prevail for all the innocent victims of this wicked slander. God bless and keep them safe.
— Noor Al Hussein (@QueenNoor) April 4, 2021
Jordanian state media on Saturday reported that multiple officials had been arrested and that former Crown Prince Hamzah, King Abdullah II's half-brother, had been asked to cease "movements and activities" that threaten to undermine "security and stability" amid an ongoing security investigation.
Hamzah was stripped of his status as crown prince in 2004 and has no formal position in government.
There were also reports of detentions among officials, with member of the royal family and envoy to Saudi Arabia Hassan bin Zaid, a long-time aide to the king, a former head of the royal court, and former Finance Minister Bassem Ibrahim Awadallah among them.
Hamzah later passed a video statement through his lawyer to the BBC, in which the former crown prince said that he had been "cut off", saying he was residing at home with his family and that he had been told not to leave the house. He also noted that "because in the meetings that I had been present in, or on social media relating to visits that I've made there's been criticism of the government or the king". He then went on to accuse the government of corruption and incompetence.
The United States, Israel, Saudi Arabia, other Gulf sheikdoms, Egypt, Lebanon, Iraq, Turkey, Morocco, the Saudi-backed Yemeni government, and the Palestinian Authority expressed support for Jordan's king following the situation.
