Two former Jordanian court officials jailed for 15 years over Hamzah conspiracy

Former royal court chief Bassem Awadallah and minor royal Sharif Hassan bin Zaid were sentenced on Monday to 15 years hard labor over their alleged involvement in a conspiracy last April to replace King Abdullah II with his half-brother Prince Hamzah. The prince himself was not on trial. After the coup attempt was thwarted, Hamzah pledged loyalty to the king. Awadallah, a former finance minister, denied ties to Saudi Arabia. Alleged messages between Awadallah and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman were submitted to the court as proof of a plot hatched by a foreign power..