AMMAN, Jordan (AP) — A former top adviser to Jordan’s King Abdullah II and a relative of the monarch have pleaded not guilty to sedition and incitement charges. The highly anticipated trial began Monday under tight security and was closed to the media. The charges revolve around an unprecedented public rift in the royal family. The defendants are accused of conspiring with a senior royal — Prince Hamzah, a half-brother of the king — to foment unrest against the monarch while soliciting foreign help. Hamzah is not facing charges, with the king having said the royal family is handling the matter privately. Yet he is a central figure in the case and defense attorneys said they plan to call him to the stand.
