KING ABDULLAH TO HANDLE SITUATION WITH PRINCE HAMZA WITHIN THE FRAMEWORK OF THE HASHEMITE FAMILY

Mon 05 April 2021:

Jordan’s King Abdullah II has decided to handle the issue with former Crown Prince Prince Hamza within the family, and has entrusted the matter to his uncle, Prince Hassan, the Royal Court announced.

“In light of King Abdullah II’s decision to deal with the issue of Prince Hamza within the framework of the Hashemite family, His Majesty entrusted this path to his uncle, Prince Al Hassan,” the court said in a statement on Twitter.

بيان صادر عن الديوان الملكي الهاشمي

تفاصيل:https://t.co/PeETYIX6Dz #الأردن pic.twitter.com/pk42Jr4am5

— RHC (@RHCJO) April 5, 2021

Prince Hassan is a former crown prince and brother of late King Hussein, father of King Abdullah and Prince Hamza.

The Royal Court said Prince Hassan had communicated with Prince Hamza, and “confirmed that he is committed to the approach of the Hashemite family, and the path that the King entrusted to Prince Hassan.”

Earlier on Prince Hamza said in a voice recording released on Monday that he would disobey orders by the army not to communicate with outside world after he was put under house arrest, Reuters reports.

The half-brother of King Abdullah and former heir to the throne said in the recording released by the country’s opposition that he would not comply after being barred from any activities and told to keep quiet.

“I am going to escalate and won’t obey when they tell you you cannot go out or tweet or reach out to people and are only allowed to see the family,” he said in the recording he circulated to friends and contacts.

On Saturday the military warned the prince over actions it said were undermining “security and stability” in Jordan, a key U.S. ally. Prince Hamza later said he was under house arrest. Several high-profile figures were also detained.

Officials announced on Sunday that Prince Hamza had liaised with people who had contacts with foreign parties in a plot to destabilise the country and he had been under investigation for some time.

It is unclear why the kingdom decided to crack down on Prince Hamza now, but he put himself at risk by making frequent visits to tribal gatherings where some people criticised the king

Officials said efforts were underway to resolve the crisis within the royal family, in the first such open rift in many years, but Prince Hamza was not cooperative.

King Abdullah removed Prince Hamza from his position as heir to the throne in 2004, in a move that consolidated his power.