15 years’ jail for 2 in Jordan over alleged royal plot

AMMAN: A Jordanian state security court on Monday sentenced two former officials to serve 15 years in prison over an alleged plot against the country involving the half-brother of King Abdullah II.

The court sentenced a former royal chief adviser, Bassem Awadallah, and a minor royal to 15 years in jail for their involvement in an alleged plot against country.

Bassem Awadallah, who has US citizenship and once served as a top aide to King Abdullah II, and Sharif Hassan Bin Zaid, a member of the royal family, were found guilty of sedition and incitement charges.

They are alleged to have conspired with Prince Hamza, the king’s half-brother, and to have sought foreign assistance.

The military court said it had confirmed evidence backing the charges against the pair and that they had both been determined to harm the country.

“The two defendants held views that are against the political system and the monarchy and sought to create chaos and sedition in Jordanian society,” said the judge.

Lieutenant Colonel Muwafaq Al Masaeed, a military judge, announced the verdict following a closed-door trial that consisted of just six hearings.

The two were sentenced to 15 years for each of two felonies, but the judge said only one sentence would be imposed on them.

A handcuffed, distraught looking Awadallah in a blue prison oufit was led to court by several elite anti-terror squad members for the sentencing on Monday, a leaked video posted on social media showed.

Jordan’s public prosecutions office has said Awadallah was at no point threatened or tortured, nor did he make his testimony under coercion.

The Jordanian defence team said they would appeal the decision.

The estranged Prince Hamza, who had been placed under house arrest earlier this year, has avoided punishment and defused the crisis last April by pledging allegiance to the king.