File – In this May 27, 2004, file photo, Jordan’s Prince Hamza left, with his mother Queen Noor, right, stand during his wedding ceremony in Amman, Jordan. Prince Hamza, the half-brother of Jordan’s King Abdullah II, said he has been placed under house arrest in a videotaped statement late Saturday, April 3, 2021.(AP Photo/Hussein Malla, File)
JERUSALEM (AP) — Jordan’s allies on Sunday rallied around King Abdullah II after his half-brother unleashed unprecedented public criticism of how the country is run, complaining of corruption and lack of free expression.
The swift show of support, even as Abdullah placed Prince Hamzah under house arrest, underscored Jordan’s strategic importance as an island of relative stability in the turbulent region. While the harsh criticism from a popular member of the ruling family could lend support to growing complaints about the kingdom’s poor governance, the king’s tough reaction also illustrated the limits to which he will accept public dissent.
Labib Kamhawi, a Jordanian analyst, said Hamzah had crossed a red line by indicating he might be an alternative to the long-ruling king.
“This is something the king does not accept or tolerate,” he said. “This is why we are now witnessing what has happened. This file is now more or less closed.”
Early on Sunday, Hamzah’s mother, Queen Noor, expressed sympathy for “innocent victims.” (Read More)
