Jordan’s Prince Hamzeh makes first public appearance since arrest
- The royal palace released a photo and video with Abdullah and Hamzeh joining other dignitaries at the grave of their father, the late King Hussein
- Sunday’s appearance by Prince Hamzeh indicated that he was safe, but it remained unclear whether he had come voluntarily or had been released
Jordan’s Prince Hamzeh on Sunday made his first public appearance since he was placed under house arrest last week, reciting Quranic verses together with King Abdullah II at the graves of their forefathers. The gesture appeared to be an attempted show of unity on a major Jordanian holiday.
Abdullah has attempted to signal in recent days that the situation is under control. But Sunday’s staged event left it unclear whether the king and his popular half-brother have truly put aside their differences. The conflict had escalated into the most serious public rift in the ruling family in decades, although Hamzeh has denied any wrongdoing.
Hamzeh joined members of the Jordanian royal family marking the centenary of the establishment of the Emirate of Transjordan, a British protectorate that preceded the kingdom. The royal palace released a photo and video with Abdullah and Hamzeh joining other dignitaries at the grave of their father, the late King Hussein, and the late King Talal, their grandfather.
A photo and video showing the family together reciting the opening chapter of the Koran appeared to be aimed at sending a message of unity at a sensitive time for the kingdom. The chapter, known as the Fatiha, is traditionally recited at people’s gravesides.
It was the first time that Hamzeh was seen in public since he was placed under a form of house arrest on April 3 following accusations that he was involved in a “malicious plot” to destabilise the kingdom.
In statements leaked to the media, Hamzeh denied the accusations and accused the country’s government of corruption and incompetence. Hamzeh has said his actions are out of love for the country. But his past criticism of government policies, and more recently, his outreach to powerful tribal leaders critical of the government, have been seen as threats to the king.
Abdullah subsequently said authorities had thwarted an attempt at sedition involving his half-brother and some 18 suspects, while saying he was angry and in shock. Abdullah also suggested there was continued control over Hamzeh's movements, saying the prince was “with his family at his palace, under my care.”
Authorities have imposed a sweeping gag order on any coverage of the royal dispute in a sign of how sensitive they are to how it is perceived. The gag order and the king’s willingness to sanction his own brother also reaffirmed what Jordanians understand as their “red line” – an absolute ban on criticising the monarch or the royal family.