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Not amused: Jordan's King Abdullah II.
Photo: Jacquelyn Martin/AP
The power struggle in the Jordanian royal family is entering a new round.
After an alleged plot against him, Jordan's King Abdullah II has placed his younger half-brother Hamsa under house arrest.
His communication options would also be restricted, Abdullah said.
In a published letter, he accused his younger brother of "erratic behavior and aspirations."
Hamsa will have everything to lead a comfortable life, "but he will not have the space to insult the nation [...] nor undermine Jordan's stability."
Anyone who hasn't done anything for the country shouldn't take it hostage.
The words, which are unusually clear for the king, are likely to refer to an alleged conspiracy from a year ago that Hamsa is said to have planned.
According to reports, an open dispute broke out between the half-brothers.
Eighteen suspects were arrested in the course of the alleged plot, many of them close associates of Prince Hamsa.
A Jordanian court sentenced Bassem Awadallah, a former head of the royal court, and Hassan bin Said, a member of the royal family, to 15 years in prison each.
They are said to have tried to destabilize the monarchy and thus endangered society.
Hassan bin Sajid was also sentenced to a further year in prison and a fine of around 1,200 euros for drug abuse.
First a letter of apology – then a family break
Prince Hamsa was not charged at the time and was instead placed under house arrest.
He later publicly reaffirmed his loyalty to his brother Abdullah.
A few weeks ago, he also apologized in a letter and admitted wrongdoing – but then surprised the public by resigning his aristocratic title.
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The imprisoned half-brother in a 2012 recording: Prince Hamsa bin al-Hussein
Photo:
KHALIL MAZRAAWI / AFP
"To be honest with God and my conscience, I see no other option but to give up the title of prince," Hamsa, 41, wrote in a letter he posted on Twitter in early April.
His convictions and the values instilled in him by his father cannot be reconciled with the "modern approaches and methods of our institutions".
Hamsa was heir to the throne until 2004, but was then deposed.
The monarchy in Jordan has so far been considered one of the most stable states in the Middle East.
Jordan is an important contact for European countries and a key US ally in the region.
mrc/AP