A former confidant of the Jordanian court was sentenced to 15 years in prison for threatening the monarchy, according to Jordan. Basem Awadallah was a minister and head of King Abdullah’s court. A low-ranking member of the royal family, Sharif Hassan bin Zaid, was sentenced to the same punishment. The official charge was sedition and incitement. Both deny guilt.
The two men were arrested in April along with Prince Hamzah, the king’s half-brother. According to Jordan, they planned to incite the population against King Abdullah, with the aim of bringing Hamza to power. After imposing a public fine and I swear loyalty To Abdullah, it was decided not to sue him.
family affair
Hamza is the former crown prince, who should have been given the monarchy after his half-brother. However, Abdullah appointed his son as crown prince in 2004. But Hamza remained popular with many tribes of the Jordanian population. He criticized the Jordanian government, accusing it of inefficiency and corruption. at Leaked video message After his arrest, Hamza said he was silenced because of those criticisms.
Awadallah says he was tortured in prison and pressured into making a confession. His lawyer wants to present his case to US President Joe Biden. In addition to being Jordanian, Awadallah is an American and Saudi citizen. Jordan is a major ally of the United States in the Middle East. Biden is scheduled to receive King Abdullah at the White House next week.
