Jordan's Prince Hamzah refuses to obey restrictions on movements amid 'coup' allegations

Jordan's former Crown Prince Hamzah bin Hussein said that he will disobey orders by the army to not communicate with the outside world after he was put under house arrest.

The half-brother of King Abdullah II has struck a defiant tone in a voice recording sent to his contacts.

"I don't want to make moves and escalate now, but of course I'm not going to obey when they say you can't go out, you can't tweet, you can't communicate with people, you're only allowed to see your family," he said in an audio recording posted on Twitter late Sunday.

Add WION as a Preferred Source

The government has accused Hamzah of involvement in a seditious conspiracy to "destabilise the kingdom's security", placed him under house arrest and detained at least 16 more people.

Deputy Prime Minister Ayman Safadi said on Sunday that former Crown Prince Hamzah bin Hussein and his aides were in contact with "foreign parties" about the "right timing to destabilise" Jordanian security.

Hamzah -- a former crown prince stripped off that title by Abdullah in 2004 -- has emerged as a vocal critic of the monarchy, accusing it of corruption, nepotism and authoritarian rule.

In a video he sent to the BBC Saturday he denied being involved in a plot and said he had been ordered under house arrest by Jordan's most senior military figure, General Youssef Huneiti.

In the latest recording, Hamzah said that: "When the head of the joint chiefs of staff comes and tells you this, it's a bit ... I think it's a bit unacceptable".

The palace turmoil has laid bare a rift in Jordan, usually considered a bulwark of stability in the Middle East.

Washington and major Gulf powers were quick to pledge their support for King Abdullah and for all steps taken to ensure stability amid reports of a foiled coup plot.

(With inputs from agencies)