During a landmark sedition trial centered on Crown Prince Hamzah bin al-Hussein, a former advisor to Jordan’s king and a member of Jordan’s royal family have been sentenced to 15 years in prison. Former chief of Jordan’s royal court, bassem Awadallah and a distant cousin of the king, Sharif Hassan bin Zaid were found guilty of incitement against the state and sowing sedition. Sharif Hassan was also found guilty on drug charges.
More than a dozen people were arrested in the foiled attempt to destabilize Jordan. Prince Hamzah is alleged to have led the plan and conspired with foreign powers, however, Prince Hamzah denies that he was part of the plot. Hamzah pledged allegiance to the king and was spared prosecution, and the legal proceedings have been criticized for its lack of transparency.
