Jordan’s king, Prince Hamzah make 1st public appearance since crisis
Amman, Apr 11 (EFE).- Jordan’s King Abdullah II and his half-brother, Prince Hamzah bin Hussein, on Sunday made their first joint public appearance since the former crown prince was accused of conspiring against the kingdom’s stability.
Hamzah, who had been placed under house arrest in connection with the plot allegations a week ago, accompanied the king alongside other Jordanian princes to visit the ruling Hashemite dynasty’s royal tomb on the occasion of the country’s centennial anniversary.
The government accused Hamzah of participating in a conspiracy against the country’s security and stability and he had been placed under house arrest as at least 16 others were arrested, including another royal family member and a former advisor to the king.
While under house arrest, the prince appeared in a couple of videos criticizing the corruption in the country.
A couple of days later, however, he pledged loyalty to the king in a message published by the royal house after Abdullah II turned to their uncle Prince Al Hasan bin Talal to intervene in the matter.
In a message to the nation delivered on Wednesday, King Abdullah said that he considered the attempt of “sedition” to now be “buried.”
Prince Hamzah is the eldest son of the late King Hussein and Queen Noor, whom the monarch married in 1978 after having been divorced twice and widowed once.
When Hussein died in February 1999 and Abdullah II ascended to the throne, Hamzah was named crown prince, but the king revoked that decision in November 2004, replacing his half-brother in that role with his own son, Hussein bin Abdullah.
EFE ajm-ppa/ta-bp
