Bodyguards did not see Nasheed pepper-sprayed: police
22 Jul 2012, 4:43 PM
Ahmed Nazeer
Former President Mohamed Nasheed’s bodyguards told an inquiry that they did not see police pepper spraying Nasheed’s face, police have said.
Police questioned the Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) Special Protection Group (SPG) bodyguards assigned to Nasheed, after the media publicised video footage of a police officer pepper spraying Nasheed’s face while he was with a group of Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) supporters at a protest.
In a statement issued on Thursday, police said that Nasheed’s bodyguards said that while they were aware pepper spray was being used in the area, they could not identity the officer using it.
Police said officers that working that night to control the protest were also questioned, and said they had used pepper spray after protesters moved inside the cordoned area and refused to move back after police advised the protesters to do so.
Become a member
Get full access to our archive and personalise your experience.
Already a member?
Discussion
No comments yet. Be the first to share your thoughts!
No comments yet. Be the first to join the conversation!
Join the Conversation
Sign in to share your thoughts under an alias and take part in the discussion. Independent journalism thrives on open, respectful debate — your voice matters.
