Jordan court rejects defence bid to have Prince Hamza testify -lawyer
By Suleiman Al-Khalidi
AMMAN, July 1 (Reuters) - A Jordanian military court on Thursday rejected a defence request to have the kingdom's Prince Hamza and others testify as witnesses in a case against a former royal confidant accused of destabilising the monarchy, a defence lawyer said.
Prince Hamza, the estranged former heir to the throne at the centre of the case, was accused of liaising with parties with foreign links to undermine the authority of the king.
He avoided any legal process in April after pledging allegiance to the king, defusing a crisis that had led to his house arrest.
But charges remained against former royal confidant Bassem Awadallah including agitating to undermine the kingdom's political system, committing acts that threaten public security and sowing sedition. He has pleaded not guilty.
Legal experts have questioned the legality of the trial when the man at the centre of the case, Prince Hamza, is not in the dock.
Defence lawyer Mohammad Afif said the military court's decision not to take testimony from a list of potential defence witnesses - also including the prime minister and other princes - suggested the verdict could be swift.
"It could be within a week," he told Reuters. He did not elaborate on any reasons given by the court for refusing the defence request.
The court has held its proceedings in secret after authorities said public hearings would compromise national security.
The case shocked Jordan because it appeared to expose rifts within the ruling Hashemite family that has been a beacon of stability in a volatile region in recent years. (Reporting by Suleiman Al-Khalidi; editing by John Stonestreet and Andrew Heavens)
