High-Profile Trial in Jordan Royal Drama Begins with Two Top Officials in the Dock

The indicted officials are onetime head of the royal court Bassem Awadallah, and Jordan’s former Special Envoy to Saudi Arabia, Sharif Hassan bin Zaid.

They are accused of fomenting unrest against the country’s monarch King Abdullah II by conspiring with his half-brother Prince Hamzah and seeking foreign help in the plot.

The royal drama unfolded in early April, when Prince Hamzah was placed under house arrest after being accused by the country’s military of “undermining security and stability” of Jordan.

The former crown prince, who was sidelined as heir to the throne in 2004, was accused of a plot to destabilize his half-brother’s government in Amman with the help of foreign parties, most notably Riyadh, and the two senior officials facing trial on Monday.

The explosive case, which saw the arrest of at least 18 people, brought to light internal family rifts in the kingdom’s Hashemite dynasty and sparked unprecedented public criticism of the monarch.

Charges against prince

The indictment, leaked to state-affiliated media, alleged that Hamzah “was determined to achieve his personal ambition” of becoming the king, while bin Zaid and Awadallah helped him in stirring discontent.

It further said that Hamzah and the two defendants were working on social media messages they were to post, with the aim of “inciting some groups in society against the ruling system and state agencies.”

Hamzah denied sedition claims, saying he was being punished for calling out corruption and mismanagement in the kingdom. He was later acquitted on the orders of the king.

While Hamzah seems to be out of trouble for now, the royal court has not commented on whether he is allowed to leave his Amman palace or communicate with others.

The 16 other detainees were also released earlier this month, barring Awadallah and bin Zaid.