On Saturday, the Jordanian security services launched a campaign of arrests of officials and soldiers, while activists reported that the campaign targeted close and companions of Prince Hamzah bin Al-Hussein, the half-brother of King Abdullah II.
The Jordanian official news agency, Petra, reported on Saturday that “the security services have arrested Sharif Hassan bin Zaid and Bassem Awadallah, in addition to others.”
The emergence of the name of Sharif Hassan bin Zaid raised questions among the Jordanian street about his personality, which is almost unknown to the majority, so that activists differed on the accuracy of one of the pictures that were circulated as belonging to him.
Jordanian media circulated simple information about this “mysterious” figure, as he is Sharif Hassan bin Zaid Al Nasser, a Hashemite overseer and residing in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, according to activists who hold Saudi citizenship in addition to his Jordanian nationality.
As was the case with Basem Awad Allah, Sharif Hassan bin Zaid previously held the position of King Abdullah II’s envoy to Saudi Arabia.
Activists confirmed that Sharif Hassan is the brother of Captain Ali bin Zaid, who was killed while participating in missions for the Jordanian armed forces in Afghanistan in 2009, after a suicide bombing targeted a US intelligence headquarters in Khost Province, where the bombing killed 9, including the Jordanian captain.
The local media, or even activists, did not report more details about Sharif Hassan bin Zaid, whose arrest coincided with the arrest of several security and civilian figures, most notably the former head of the royal court, Bassem Awadallah.
The official Jordanian News Agency quoted a security source as saying that “the arrests were made for security reasons after close follow-up,” noting that “the investigation into the matter is still ongoing.”
Activists on social media reported that Yasser Al-Majali, director of Prince Hamzah’s office, was arrested after a raid on his home in southern Jordan.
Activists also referred to the arrest of 4 of the Prince’s guards, noting that the campaign came after the latter met with a number of tribal sheikhs in southern Jordan.
