Jordan prince sought Saudi help for coup
Jordan's Prince Hamzah hoped to overthrow King Abdullah II
with the backing of Saudi Arabia, according to court indictments against two
alleged accomplices released Sunday.
Both the accused have close ties to neighbouring Saudi
Arabia: former royal court chief Bassem Awadallah, who also holds Saudi
nationality, and former special envoy to the kingdom, Sharif Hassan bin Zaid.
The two men face trial at the State Security Court later
this month, and face up to 20 years in prison if found guilty, according to one
of their lawyers.
But Hamzah, the king's half-brother, who was accused of
involvement in the alleged April 3 attempt to "destabilise the kingdom's
security", will not stand trial.
Authorities have said his case had been resolved within the
Hashemite royal family.
Regional powerhouse Saudi Arabia has fervently denied any
involvement in the alleged plot.
After the news first broke, Riyadh quickly expressed
"its full support" for Jordan "and for the decisions and
measures taken by King Abdullah II and Crown Prince Hussein to safeguard security
and stability".
But while Hamzah, the king's half-brother, will not face
trial, his alleged role will be central to the trial.
"Prince Hamzah was determined to satisfy his personal
ambition to rule, in violation of the constitution and Hashemite custom,"
the indictment read.
"To succeed, he sought to exploit the concerns and
problems of the population and to arouse sedition and frustration in
society," it added.
Awadallah is considered by several Jordanian media outlets
to be close to Saudi Crown Prince Mohamed bin Salman.
The indictment said Awadallah was "close to officials
of the kingdom of Saudi Arabia" and had a network of contacts abroad.
Hamzah was reportedly especially concerned about Riyadh's
attitude.
"If something bad happens to me in Jordan, will Saudi
officials help me or not?" Hamzah reportedly asked Awadallah, according to
the indictment.
Comments
Post a Comment