They 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.
The 41-year-old Hamzah is the central figure, though he is not facing charges. In clashing narratives, he is either a champion of ordinary Jordanians suffering from economic mismanagement and corruption, or a disgruntled royal who never forgave Abdullah for taking away his title of crown prince in 2004 in favor of the king's oldest son.
Hamzah's popularity stems from ties he has nurtured with Jordan's tribes, the bedrock of Hashemite rule. Atef Majali, a tribal leader in the town of Karak, said he and other sheikhs have met with the prince more than a dozen times over the years, but denied the king was criticized at these events. The prince is not in legal trouble, with the king saying the matter is being dealt with by the family and that his half-brother remains under his care. The royal court has declined comment when asked if Hamzah can leave his Amman palace or communicate with others. Atef Majali said Hamzah's staff was not allowed back to work.
In the days leading up to the trial, a broader narrative has surfaced, though it is only alluded to in the indictment. The indictment alleges that Hamzah and bin Zaid invited Awadallah to join them because of his foreign ties. At one point, Hamzah allegedly asked Awadallah: "If something happened to me in Jordan, will the Saudi officials help me or not?"