Judges Didi and Yoosuf refuse to step down from Nasheed’s terrorism trial
03 Mar 2015, 3:32 AM
Zaheena Rasheed
A three-judge Criminal Court panel has ruled it has no conflict of interest in overseeing former President Mohamed Nasheed’s terrorism trial, despite two of the three judges having testified as witnesses in the case’s investigation.
Nasheed is accused of ordering the abduction of Criminal Court Chief Judge Abdulla Mohamed in January 2012. If convicted under anti-terrorism laws, he faces a jail term between ten and 15 years.
The opposition leader’s lawyers tonight requested Judges Abdulla Didi and Abdul Bari Yoosuf step down from the bench.
Citing statements provided during a police and Human Rights Commission of Maldives (HRCM) investigation, lawyers said Judge Abdulla had first called Judge Yoosuf on receiving news of his impending arrest, while Didi had been present at the scene of the arrest.
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