AMMAN – Bassem Awadallah, former head of the Jordanian Royal Court, e Sharif Hassan bin Zaid, a member of the royal family and former envoy of the sovereign in Saudi Arabia, were sentenced to 15 years in prison for the alleged plot against King Abdallah of Jordan which allegedly involved the prince Hamza bin Hussein, half-brother of the same king.
The two, who had pleaded innocent before the State Security Court, were found guilty on two counts: sedition and conspiracy. The judge issued the sentence for only one of the two charges: they will therefore have to serve 15 years in prison.
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Awadallah, who is also a US citizen, was sentenced to forced labor. While bin Zaid, to a fine of around 1,200 euros. Both were arrested last April along with 16 others who were subsequently released. Prince Hamza, after denying his involvement in a video statement while under house arrest, has apparently reconciled with the royal family and was therefore not among the defendants. To confirm the reconciliation, on the occasion of Jordan’s centenary, on 11 April, the king appeared with Hamza at a public event. But since then the rebel prince has been lost track.
“An unfair trial,” said Awadallah’s attorney Michael Sullivan. The lawyer claims his client was forced into a confession by beatings, threats and electric shocks. The court rejected the defense’s request to bring witnesses.
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