2 plead not guilty in trial linked to Jordan's royal rift
AMMAN, Jordan (AP) — A former top adviser to King Abdullah II and a relative of the monarch pleaded not guilty Monday to sedition and incitement charges linked to an unprecedented public rift in Jordan's royal family.
The defendants are accused of conspiring with a senior royal — Prince Hamzah, a half-brother of the king — to foment unrest against the monarch while soliciting foreign help.
The highly anticipated trial was held under a heavy cloak of secrecy, signaling that Jordan's rulers are determined to maintain tight control over the sensitive affair. The defendants were sneaked into the state security court, apparently in SUVs with blacked-out windows, as dozens of journalists waited for hours near the main gate for any word about the proceedings inside.
At one point, out-of-focus photos and video of defendant Bassem Awadallah, a former royal court chief, were leaked to journalists. Awadallah, wearing a face mask and light blue scrubs — the uniform of detainees of the intelligence service — is seen walking inside the court, led by guards. He is holding his arms behind his back, but it is not clear if he was cuffed.
Hamzah, a central figure in the case, has not been charged. The king has said the royal family is dealing with him privately. Defense attorneys have said they plan to call Hamzah to the stand.
Since the drama erupted into the open in early April, with Hamzah being placed under house arrest, clashing narratives have swirled around the popular prince. He is either a popular champion of ordinary Jordanians suffering from economic mismanagement and corruption, or a disgruntled royal who never forgave Abdullah for taking away his title of crown prince in 2004.
The indictment alleges Hamzah was driven by personal ambition and determined to become king. It...