KABUL: (Middle East Press) Mohamed Nasheed, Former president of Maldives has been sentenced to 13 years in jail due to a terrorism charge by a criminal court.
The three-judge bench on Friday unanimously found Nasheed guilty of ordering the arrest of a chief judge in January 2012 when he was leader of the Indian Ocean island nation.
According to officials “Nasheed is found guilty of arresting and illegally detaining judge Abdulla Mohamed,” Nasheed was then taken to Dhoonidhoo prison, near the capital Male.
However, Nasheed has denied ordering the arrest. His supporters say the charges are aimed at eliminating him as a challenger against obligatory President Yameen Abdul Gayoom in the 2018 presidential election.
A statement released by his office on Friday called the trial “blatantly politicised”.
“President Nasheed was repeatedly denied legal representation, denied the right to appeal, his defence witnesses were prevented from taking the stand, and prosecution witnesses were routinely coached by the judges and the police,” it said.
At court, the former president called on Maldivians to “confront the dictatorial power of this regime”.
“The Maldivian judiciary is full of corruption and disgrace. Judges are routinely accepting the vile money of bribery,” said Nasheed.
“These judges have no fear of the day of judgment, and no shame in this world. The consequence of their actions is injustice to the public, and the thwarting of this country’s development.” He added.
Nasheed’s Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) said the verdict dealt a blow to the young democracy seven years after it embraced multi-party elections following three decades of rule by former strongman Maumoon Abdul Gayoom.
Shauna Aminath added “Nothing good will come out of this. It’s a sad, sad, sad day for the Maldives,”
Nasheed, the country’s first democratically elected leader, was originally cleared of the charge last month but a few days later the prosecutor general had him re-charged and arrested under tough anti-terror laws.
The United States and regional power India had voiced concern over the charges and attempts to keep him out of politics.
Hundreds of supporters have been protesting in the capital island Male on a regular basis since Nasheed’s arrest last month.
