Nasheed lodges appeal at the Supreme Court
In a surprising U-turn, former President Mohamed Nasheed has lodged an appeal at the Supreme Court, requesting judges to overturn his 13-year jail sentence on a terrorism charge.
20 Dec 2015, 9:00 AM
Lawyers representing former President Mohamed Nasheed have lodged an appeal at the Supreme Court, requesting judges to overturn his 13-year jail sentence on a terrorism charge.
Nasheed argues that the offence he was prosecuted for – the military detention of a judge during his tenure – does not constitute terrorism.
“The state did not submit any evidence to the prove that President Mohamed Nasheed committed any offence that can be considered as terrorism. We do not believe he can be charged under the 1990 Anti-Terror Act, therefore the subsequent trial and conviction is invalid,” lawyer Ibrahim Riffath said.
Nasheed’s decision to file an appeal at the apex court is a u-turn from his earlier demand for a “political solution.” He had argued President Abdulla Yameen must issue a pardon, but the president has remained defiant, insisting that Nasheed must exhaust all appeal processes before he is eligible for clemency.
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