Jordan State Security to Kick off Trial in Sedition Case Next Week

Arab World

June 14th, 4:21am

Asharq Al-Awsat

General view showing empty streets, during the nationwide curfew for two days, amid fears of a rising number of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases in Amman, Jordan October 9, 2020. (Reuters)

Jordan's military court will start the trial next week of a former royal court chief and a minor royal on charges of agitating to destabilize the monarchy, state media said on Sunday. Prosecutors last week referred to court the case of Bassem Awadallah, an ex-royal court chief and finance minister, and Sherif Hassan Zaid, a distant relative of King Abdullah. They were arrested in early April when former heir to the throne Prince Hamza was placed under house arrest over allegations that he had liaised with foreign parties over a plot to destabilize Jordan, a close US ally in the Middle East. State media said Awadallah and Zaid were formally charged with agitating to undermine the kingdom's political system and acts that threaten public security and sowing sedition. The two charges carry up to 30 years in prison, judicial sources said. Proceedings against Prince Hamza, who along with Awadallah had been under investigation for some time, were later dropped after he pledged allegiance to King Abdullah. King Abdullah said after the affair came to light that sedition had been quashed, describing it as the most painful" because it came from both inside the royal family and outside it."

from Asharq AL-awsat https://english.aawsat.com/home/article/3026151/jordan-state-security-kick-trial-sedition-case-next-week