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In Jordan, Prince Hamsa bin Hussein has been placed under house arrest in connection with an alleged conspiracy against King Abdullah II his lawyer is said to have leaked.

In it he raises serious allegations against King Abdullah II - his half-brother - and speaks of arrests, intimidation and threats against critics of the king.

The incompetent and corrupt government apparently wants to silence its opponents by all means.

Almost at the same time as the prince spoke, the Washington Post reported the arrest of almost 20 people in connection with an alleged plot against King Abdullah II.

The newspaper wrote of an investigation into a "complex and far-reaching" conspiracy, citing a senior Middle East government official who had been briefed on the case.

There was no official confirmation for this.

Jordan is a key partner of the US in the Arab region and is considered to be largely stable and secure compared to some of its regional neighbors.

King Abdullah II has ruled the country since 1999 and has demonstrated his leadership skills in several crises.

Prince protests that he is not part of a conspiracy

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Prince Hamsa says in the video that the chief of staff visited him on Saturday morning and informed him that he was not allowed to leave the house or have any contact with the outside world.

His telephone and internet connections have been cut.

"I am not part of any conspiracy or nefarious organization or group with foreign support," the prince insisted.

The state agency Petra only reported that two high-ranking men and other suspects had been arrested "for security reasons": Bassim Auadalla, former chairman of the royal court, and Hassan bin Said, member of the royal family.

Petra also reported, citing an unnamed, "well-informed source" that Prince Hamsa had neither been arrested nor placed under house arrest.

The case is reminiscent of reports of the arrests of several high-ranking members of the royal family in Saudi Arabia just over a year ago.

The "New York Times" and the "Wall Street Journal" reported at the time, citing insiders, that they were accused of a conspiracy.

The video also brings back memories of the kidnapped Sheikha Latifa, daughter of the Emir of Dubai.

The BBC published a previously unknown video of Latifa in February, which Latifa had recorded from her captivity.

Chief of Staff denies house arrest

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Chief of Staff Jussif al-Hunaiti called on Prince Hamsa in a statement late Saturday evening to refrain from actions that could endanger the stability of the kingdom.

The prince should "end activities and steps that undermine the security and stability of Jordan", he demanded, referring to "extensive investigations by the security authorities".

Al-Hunaiti also denied that Prince Hamsa had been placed under house arrest.

Unconfirmed reports have also arrested Prince Hamsa's office manager, Yasser Majali.

His niece Basma wrote on Twitter that Majali had been taken to an unknown location after a raid.

That evening, other Arab countries expressed their support for King Abdullah II.

Saudi Arabia said it fully supports "any decision or step" that safeguards the security and stability of Jordan.

Similar statements came from Egypt, Bahrain, Kuwait and the Gulf Cooperation Council.

US State Department spokesman Ned Price described King Abdullah II as a “key partner” of the US, who had the “full support” of the United States.