11:33     05 April 2021    

The European Union expressed its “full support for King Abdullah II” of Jordan on Sunday amid a spate of arrests in the kingdom due to "security reasons.”

The European Union expressed its “full support for King Abdullah II” of Jordan on Sunday amid a spate of arrests in the kingdom due to "security reasons.” “The EU is closely following recent events in Jordan,” said EU spokeswoman Nabila Massrali on Twitter. Sharing the EU and Jordanian flags, Massrali added that the two parties “have a strong and solid partnership.” “We will continue supporting Jordan and its people. The EU fully supports King Abdullah II and his moderating role in the region,” she added. On Saturday, former Crown Prince Hamzah bin Al-Hussein and Bassem Ibrahim Awadallah, a former head of the Jordanian Royal Court, were among some 20 people reportedly detained on the grounds that they "pose a threat to Jordan’s stability.” In a statement, Jordan’s Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Maj. Gen. Yousef Huneiti, denied that Prince Hamzah was detained or under house arrest but confirmed that he was asked to cease activities used to target Jordan's security and stability. Prince Hamzah, however, appeared in a video saying that he was under house arrest and was accused of being part of meetings that criticized the king. "I am not part of any conspiracy or nefarious organization or foreign-backed group, as is always the claim here for anyone who speaks out,” the prince said. Prince Hamzah, 41, is the half-brother of King Abdullah II and the eldest son of the late King Hussein bin Talal from his last wife. He was declared a crown prince on Feb. 7, 1999 but was replaced on Nov. 28, 2004 by King Abdullah II's eldest son, Hussein bin Abdullah, who was appointed to the post by his father.