A scandal arose in Jordan on Saturday when an arrest made global headlines. Police forces in Jordan detained multiple top government officials and a member of the royal family. These people were planning a potential coup to overthrow the government.
There was another unconfirmed report that Jordan’s former crown prince was under house arrest.
The Announcement of the Jordan Arrests
Petra News Agency, a local Jordan news agency, was the first media company to report on the arrests. They said an unnamed Jordan official said royal family member Sharif Hassan bin Zaid and former royal court leader, Bassem Awadallah.
These two and their counterparts were detained after being monitored and exposed for planning to overthrow the government. There is still an ongoing investigation. Authorities felt that they had enough evidence to take the alleged coup members into custody.
Jordan is known as one of the most stable countries in the Middle East. They are a firm ally of the United States, so this news came as quite a shock to American officials.
The scandal also involves Prince Hamzah bin Hussein. He was replaced as the crown prince by his stepbrother King Abdullah II, so it makes sense that Hussein would be involved.
It’s believed that there was a raid on Hussein’s home to place him under house arrest and to take members of his staff into custody for questioning. Some people have denied these reports, so it’s uncertain if this event occurred.
Hussein’s Head of Office, Yasser Majali, was one of the police’s primary targets for questioning.
Did this House Arrest Happen?
Authorities are trying to keep news of the coup quiet, so it’s hard to know the facts and fictions occurring in the country. Jordan’s Chief of Staff, Lt. General Mahmoud Yousef Huneit, denied that the house arrest ever occurred. He said there was no raid at Hussein’s compound.
He reported that Hussein was warned to stop doing anything to compromise the safety and security of the Jordan government. This was done because authorities found evidence that Hussein was involved with the active Jordan government people who were organizing the coup.
However, some people have reported that the raid did happen. This should become clear as evidence is revealed. All investigation measures have been done in a legal manner, according to Huneit.
Huneit said, “All the procedures were conducted within the framework of the law and after being required as a result of vigorous investigations. No one is above the law, and Jordan’s security and stability is above any consideration.”
Officials in the United States have made their opinions clear on who they are supporting. U.S. Department spokesman said America is standing with King Abdullah, who is the country’s active leader.
They are closely monitoring the situation, so they can help Jordan in any way necessary to ensure that order is maintained in the country. The subjects should get questioned in the coming days, so more information will continue to unfold.
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