Jordan has freed 16 prisoners detained in association with a rift within the royal family, authorities proclaimed on Thursday.
Their release further de-escalated the affair that had prompted international calls to preserve solidity.
“A number of those detained in the latest events have been released. Their number is 16,” official media sources quoted State Security Court Hazem Al Majali saying.
In the first week of April, eighteen men were detained. Authorities said they were connected to unspecified action by King Abdullah II’s half-brother and former Crown Prince, Prince Hamzah bin Hussein, to destabilize the security of the Kingdom.
He was not halted but was warned by the military to “stop movements and activities that are employed to target the security of Jordan and its stability”.
Former royal court chief Bassem Awadallah, and junior royal family member Sharif Hassan bin Zaid, remain imprisoned.
Al Majali said the two men had “different roles” than the other 16 but did not give details. None of the 18 arrested have been charged.
The decision came after King Abdullah II urged officials to consider releasing some of the detainees.
In a statement released through the Twitter account of the Royal Hashemite Court, he said the request was made in the spirit of Ramadan, “when we all wish to be with family”.
