ヨルダン前皇太子、自宅軟禁に　国王への謀略関与は否定

【ニコシアＡＦＰ＝時事】ヨルダンの前皇太子、ハムザ・ビン・フセイン王子が3日、自宅軟禁下にあると明らかにした。異母兄のアブドラ・イブン・フセイン国王に対する謀略への関与は一切否定している。（写真はヨルダンのハムザ・ビン・フセイン王子＜右＞とヌール王妃。アンマンで）
　ハムザ王子は英ＢＢＣが王子の弁護士から入手した動画の中で、自宅に軟禁され、警護は解かれ、インターネットと電話の回線が遮断されたと説明。王子の多数の友人が拘束されたと明らかにした。
　一方で、王子は謀略には関与していないと主張し、自身には「統治の崩壊や汚職、そして過去１５～２０年にわたり統治機構にまん延し、悪化の一途をたどる無能さへの責任はない」と述べた。
　またヨルダンの「政治体制」は、「国民１０００万人の命や威厳、未来よりも、私的かつ経済的な権益や汚職の方が大切」だと考えていると非難し、「残念ながらこの国は汚職や縁故主義、悪政に阻まれるようになり、希望が壊されたり失われたりしている」と語った。
　ハムザ王子は、故フセイン１世と米国人の妻ヌール王妃の長男。異母兄のアブドラ国王と公式には良好な関係にあり、部族の指導者らと親密な関係を築いている。
　アブドラ国王は１９９９年、フセイン１世の遺言通りハムザ王子を皇太子に任命したが、２００４年に解任し、代わりに自身の長男フセイン・ビン・アブドラ王子を任命した。
　米紙ワシントン・ポストは中東で活動する情報機関高官の話として、ハムザ王子の自宅軟禁は、王室関係者いわく「複雑かつ大規模な策略」が発覚したことに続くものだと伝えた。
　米国務省のネッド・プライス報道官は、米政府は同盟国ヨルダンでの動向を「注視している」と述べた。【翻訳編集ＡＦＰＢＢＮｅｗｓ】
〔ＡＦＰ＝時事〕（2021/04/05-11:52）

A top former Jordanian royal aide was among several suspects arrested Saturday as the army cautioned a half-brother of King Abdullah II against damaging the country's security.
Videos posted online showed a heavy police deployment in the Dabouq area near the royal palaces as the Washington Post said Prince Hamzah bin Hussein, who is also a former crown prince, was placed under restriction as part of a probe into an alleged plot to unseat the king.
The move followed the discovery of what palace officials described as a complex and far-reaching plot, it said, quoting a senior Middle East intelligence official.
Hamzah is the eldest son of late King Hussein and his American wife Queen Noor. He has good relations officially with Abdullah and is a popular figure close to tribal leaders.
Abdullah had appointed his half-brother Hamzah crown prince in line with Hussein's dying wish, but in 2004 stripped him of the title and gave it to his own eldest son Hussein.
The Washington Post said the alleged plot included at least one other Jordanian royal as well as tribal leaders and members of the country's security establishment.
US State Department spokesman Ned Price said Washington was closely following the reports.
We are... in touch with Jordanian officials. King Abdullah is a key partner of the United States, and he has our full support, he said.
Neighbouring Saudi Arabia reacted swiftly to developments in Amman.
The kingdom stresses its full support for the Hashemite kingdom of Jordan... and for the decisions and measures taken by King Abdullah II and Crown Prince Hussein to safeguard security and stability, it said.
Jordan's Joint Chiefs of Staff head, Major General Yousef Huneiti, denied media reports that Hamzah, who holds no official position, had been arrested.
What has been published about the arrest of Prince Hamzah is not true, Huneiti said.
But the prince had been asked to stop some activities that could be used to shake the stability and security of Jordan.
- 'Security reasons'
Official news agency Petra named Bassem Awadallah, chief of the royal court in 2007-2008, and Sherif Hassan bin Zaid among an unspecified number of suspects arrested.
Sherif is a title given to those close to the royal family in Jordan.
The pair were detained for security reasons after a close operation, Petra said, quoting a security source.
Awadallah, a former finance and planning minister educated in the United States, was close to the king but has also been a controversial figure in Jordan.
Before becoming royal court chief in 2007, he was head of the king's cabinet in 2006.
He had been a rising figure in Jordan playing a key role in pushing for economic reforms in the cash-strapped country until he resigned in 2008.
Awadallah stepped down after coming under public criticism over alleged interference in controversial political and economic issues.
Saturday's security sweep comes as Jordan prepares to mark 100 years since the new kingdom then named Transjordan was established alongside Palestine under British mandate.
It declared independence in 1946, and despite having little oil wealth, severely lacking water and repeatedly being rocked by wars on its borders, Jordan has survived.
But the centenary will be muted.
Abdullah took the throne in 1999, on the death of his father Hussein, and has used the mottos Jordan first and We are all Jordanians to cement a national identity.