Jordan: two dignitaries sentenced to 15 years in prison for conspiracy against the king

Published on : 07/12/2021 – 11:21

The conspiracy case against the Jordanian ruler sparked an unprecedented crisis in the Hashemite kingdom in April. A Jordanian court sentenced, Monday, July 12, to 15 years in prison, two former senior officials accused of wanting to overthrow King Abdullah II in favor of his half-brother Prince Hamza.

Main protagonist, the prince was not tried during this closed-door trial directed against Bassem Awadallah, former head of the royal office, and Cherif Hassan ben Zaid.

Accused of taking part in the plot, of having “worked against the safety and security of Jordanian society” and “of inciting sedition”, the two men had pleaded not guilty. The State Security Court, a military tribunal whose magistrates are partly civilians, announced that it had sentenced them to 15 years in prison.

They were found guilty of “inciting [à agir] against the political regime of the kingdom, ”“ acts likely to endanger the safety and security of society and sedition. ”They could face up to 20 years in prison.

Two defendants linked to Saudi Arabia

According to the 13-page indictment, Prince Hamza, 41, “was determined to fulfill his personal ambition to rule, in violation of Hashemite customs and the Constitution.” Prince Hamza would seek help from Saudi Arabia for this, according to the same source.

Bassem Awadallah and Cherif Hassan ben Zaid are closely linked to the Saudi kingdom: Mr. Awadallah holds its nationality and Mr. ben Zaid was a special envoy of the Jordanian king there for a time.

A neighboring regional power, Saudi Arabia had firmly denied being involved in this unprecedented crisis and had expressed its “full” support for the king.

Prince Hamza’s case settled in family

Appointed Crown Prince in 1999 but removed from office in 2004 by King Abdullah who appointed his own son instead, Hamza accused his country’s authorities of “corruption” and “incompetence” in a video published by the BBC April 3.

He then claimed to have been placed under house arrest for his alleged participation in a “conspiracy”, however denying this accusation.

The government announced the next day the arrest of 18 people involved in this attempt to “undermine the security and stability of Jordan”. Sixteen of them have since been released.

Prince Hamza will not stand trial, his case having been resolved within the royal family after he pledged allegiance to the king and promised to “remain loyal to him”.

With AFP