Jordan's Prince Hamza had links with 'foreign parties' to execute plot

Jordan's Deputy Prime Minister Ayman Safadi said on Sunday that King Abdullah's half-brother and former crown prince, Prince Hamza, had been liaising with foreign parties over a plot to destabilize the country and had been monitored for some time.

The authorities intercepted communications between Hamza and foreign parties over the timing of steps to undermine Jordan's security, Safadi said at a news conference.

The security services have asked for those involved in the plot to be referred to the state security court, he said, adding that 14 to 16 people had been arrested in addition to two senior officials whose arrests were already announced.