Hamzah bin Hussein, Jordan’s former crown prince and half-brother of King Abdullah, claims he has been placed in isolation in a video statement released to the BBC by his lawyers.

In the video, he claims  the Jordanian military told him that he shouldn’t leave his home, suggesting he has been put under house arrest. According to Jordan’s deputy prime minister, the prince is being accused of trying to mobilize leaders against the government.

“I had a visit from the Chief of the General staff of the Jordanian Armed Forces this morning, in which he informed me that I was not allowed to go out to communicate with people or to meet with them, because that in the meetings that I had been present in or on social media relating the visits that I’ve made, there’s been criticism of the government or the King,” he said in the video.

Ayman Safadi said that Prince Hamzah bin Hussein worked with “foreign entities” to destabilize the state. In relation to it, sixteen people were arrested on Saturday for threatening security. A former adviser to the king and another member of the royal family were also arrested.

He has denied conspiracy but, accused Jordan’s leaders of corruption and incompetence.

Hamzah was initially considered the favorite to succeed his father. However, before King Hussein died of cancer in 1999 he named Abdullah his successor, as Hamzah was seen as too inexperienced and young to become a monarch.

Abdullah appointed Hamzah crown prince in 1999 before revoking the title in 2004.

His mother, American-born Queen Noor, has expressed her support via twitter to say she is praying for “innocent victims of this wicked slander”.