Jordan Refers 2 Ex-Senior Officials to Security Court over Plot to Destabilize Kingdom

Jordan's King Abdullah II listens during a meeting in Amman, Jordan, May 26, 2021. (Reuters)
Jordan's King Abdullah II listens during a meeting in Amman, Jordan, May 26, 2021. (Reuters)
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Jordan Refers 2 Ex-Senior Officials to Security Court over Plot to Destabilize Kingdom

Jordan's King Abdullah II listens during a meeting in Amman, Jordan, May 26, 2021. (Reuters)
Jordan's King Abdullah II listens during a meeting in Amman, Jordan, May 26, 2021. (Reuters)

Two suspects in an alleged plot to destabilize Jordan will face trial in the kingdom's State Security Court, state media reported Wednesday.

Judicial sources said the step paved the way for the trial of Bassem Awadallah, an ex-royal court chief and finance minister who played a big role in the drive to liberalize the economy, and Sherif Hassan Zaid, a distant relative of the king.

"The investigation was completed and the file has been sent to the Attorney General," an official source said, quoted by the official Petra news agency.

Prosecutors must now draw up charges and set a date for the trial, according to Jordanian legal procedure.

"The file will be referred to the Public Prosecutor at the State Security Court to carry out the legal requirement of issuing an indictment," after which "trial sessions" will begin, Professor of Constitutional Law, Laith Nasrawin, told state television.

The charges "will not deviate from the crimes of undermining the political regime, as defined by Article 49 of the Penal Code, and... acts that disturb public order and threaten societal security, which is considered a crime of terrorism," he added.

Eighteen suspects were arrested after authorities on April 3 announced they had foiled a bid to destabilize the kingdom, but 16 were released later that month.

When news of the alleged plot broke, King Abdullah's half-brother Prince Hamzah was suspected of involvement.

The government accused the former crown prince, who was sidelined as heir to the throne in 2014, of involvement in a conspiracy to "destabilize the kingdom's security".

But authorities said later he would not stand trial, as his case had been resolved within the royal family.



Israel Says Missile Launched from Yemen Was Intercepted

Yemenis brandish their rifles and chant slogans during a rally in solidarity with Palestinians and the Gaza Strip and in condemnation of Israel and the US, in the Houthi-run capital Sanaa on July 4, 2025. (Photo by Mohammed HUWAIS / AFP)
Yemenis brandish their rifles and chant slogans during a rally in solidarity with Palestinians and the Gaza Strip and in condemnation of Israel and the US, in the Houthi-run capital Sanaa on July 4, 2025. (Photo by Mohammed HUWAIS / AFP)
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Israel Says Missile Launched from Yemen Was Intercepted

Yemenis brandish their rifles and chant slogans during a rally in solidarity with Palestinians and the Gaza Strip and in condemnation of Israel and the US, in the Houthi-run capital Sanaa on July 4, 2025. (Photo by Mohammed HUWAIS / AFP)
Yemenis brandish their rifles and chant slogans during a rally in solidarity with Palestinians and the Gaza Strip and in condemnation of Israel and the US, in the Houthi-run capital Sanaa on July 4, 2025. (Photo by Mohammed HUWAIS / AFP)

Yemen's Houthi militant group said on Thursday they had attacked Israel's Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv area with a ballistic missile, while the Israeli military said the missile from Yemen was intercepted after air raid sirens were triggered in several parts of the country.

Most of the dozens of missiles and drones they have launched have been intercepted or fallen short. Israel has carried out a series of retaliatory strikes.

The Iran-aligned Houthis have been firing at Israel and attacking shipping lanes. Traffic through the Red Sea, a critical waterway for the world's oil and commodities, has dropped since the Houthi militia began targeting ships in November 2023 in what the group said was solidarity with Palestinians against Israel in the Gaza war.

Houthis said in May they would impose a "comprehensive" aerial blockade on Israel by repeatedly targeting its airports.