AMMAN, Jordan — The Jordanian authorities has arrested various high-profile figures within the kingdom, together with a member of the royal household and a former chief of the royal courtroom, for “security reasons,” the Petra state information company mentioned on Saturday.
Among these arrested have been Bassem Awadallah, a longtime confidante of King Abdullah II who later grew to become minister of finance, and Sharif Hassan bin Zaid, a member of the royal household. They have been detained together with various different folks, the report mentioned.
Mr. Awadallah had helped spearhead financial reforms earlier than leaving as head of the royal courtroom in 2008.
Arrests of prime officers and royal members of the family are uncommon in Jordan, a usually secure Arab kingdom that has been a stalwart ally of the West, significantly in the case of counterterrorism cooperation within the Middle East. It borders Israel, Syria and Iraq.
