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Jordan 'coup plot' suspects plead not guilty to destabilizing monarchy: Lawyer

Monday, 21 June 2021 6:04 PM [ Last Update: Monday, 21 June 2021 6:09 PM ]

Policemen stand guard outside the State Security Court, where the trial of two officials accused of helping Jordan's Prince Hamzah try to overthrow his half-brother King Abdullah II is taking place, in the Jordanian capital Amman on June 21, 2021. (Photo by AFP)

Two former Jordanian government officials accused of assisting in an alleged coup attempt to overthrow the country’s monarchy have pleaded not guilty, according to one of their lawyers.

The head of Jordan’s royal court, Bassem Awadallah, and former special envoy to Saudi Arabia, Sharif Hassan bin Zaid, have been accused of fomenting unrest against the country’s monarch King Abdullah II by conspiring with his half-brother Prince Hamzah.

Mohamed Afif, Awadallah's lawyer, said both defendants, who were charged with attempting to "destabilize the kingdom's security," pleaded not guilty during the first session of their trial on Monday.

The trial began behind closed doors at the State Security Court in the capital Amman and will continue on Tuesday.

The royal drama unfolded in early April, when Prince Hamzah was placed under house arrest after being accused by the country’s military of “undermining security and stability” of Jordan.

Jordan arrests several high-profile figures over alleged plot against King Abdullah II

The government of Jordan has arrested a number of high-profile figures for an alleged plot against King Abdullah II.

The former crown prince, who was sidelined as heir to the throne in 2004, was accused of a plot to destabilize his half-brother’s government in Amman with the help of foreign parties, most notably Riyadh, and the two senior officials facing trial on Monday.

The explosive case, which saw the arrest of at least 18 people, brought to light internal family rifts in the kingdom’s Hashemite dynasty and sparked unprecedented public criticism of the monarch.

King Abdullah II has ruled Jordan since the 1999 death of his father, King Hussein, who ruled the country for close to half a century.

Jordan’s economy has been battered by the coronavirus pandemic. With a population of around 10 million, the country also hosts more than 600,000 Syrian refugees.

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