Terrorism

Lawyers request Criminal Court to rule Nasheed’s detention arbitrary

Former President Mohamed Nasheed’s lawyers have requested the criminal court to rule his transfer from house arrest to a high security prison as illegal and arbitrary.

Former President Nasheed taken back to jail

Former President Mohamed Nasheed has been taken back to jail by prison guards acting with Specialist Operations (SO) police officers, eight weeks after the opposition leader was transferred to house arrest.

US Congress members join chorus against Yameen’s regime

Four members of the United States Congress have written a letter to President Abdulla Yameen, demanding former President Mohamed Nasheed’s release and expressing concern over the apparent deterioration of democracy in the Maldives.

Criminal court urged to expedite Imran’s trial

Prosecutor General Muhthaz Muhsin has written to the criminal court urging it to expedite a terrorism trial against Sheikh Imran Abdulla, indicted on terrorism and held without trial for two months.

State yet to appeal Nasheed’s terrorism conviction

The Prosecutor General’s (PG) Office is yet to appeal former President Mohamed Nasheed’s terrorism conviction, despite nearly three weeks passing since the announcement of intent to appeal.

Lawyers concerned over Nazim’s health, delays in Imran’s trial

Husnu Suood, who represents Nazim and Imran, said doctors suspect damage to Nazim’s kidneys and have recommended that he should be kept in a stress-free or home environment to undergo heart tests. Imran’s terrorism trial remains stalled due to a construction of a new hall at the criminal court, he said.

Imran taken back into police custody

The Adhaalath Party president’s transfer to prison, just a day after the criminal court chief judge placed him under house arrest, was based on a secret intelligence report and points to a rift within the criminal court.

Terrorism bill could suppress political activity, warn opposition MPs

The draft legislation states that inciting violence at demonstrations and threatening the country’s independence and sovereignty will be considered acts of terrorism and specifies penalties of up to 25 years in jail.

Yameen welcomes state appeal of ex-president’s terrorism conviction

Welcoming the Prosecutor General’s decision to appeal a terrorism conviction against former president Mohamed Nasheed, President Abdulla Yameen today pledged to do all he can to address the opposition leader’s concerns through the Maldivian judicial processes.

Terrorism charge against Nasheed must be overturned, says lawyers

The Prosecutor General must ask the High court to declare the terrorism charges he had filed against former President Mohamed Nasheed as invalid, lawyers have argued in a letter today.

Opposition MP Didi returns to Malé

Opposition MP and Rtd. Brigadier General Ibrahim Didi was seen at the July 26 midnight official flag hoisting ceremony on Independence Day. He was flown to India for medical treatment amidst a terrorism trial.

Nasheed’s sentence was commuted to house arrest before state decision to appeal

Questioning the state’s decision to appeal a terrorism conviction against former President Mohamed Nasheed, lawyers revealed today that the opposition leader’s 13-year jail sentence was commuted to house arrest on July 19. The sudden reversal of stance on freeing Nasheed may affect ongoing talks, they said.

Government tight-lipped over rumors of a pardon for Nasheed

Attorney General Mohamed Anil today dampened talk of an imminent pardon for former president Mohamed Nasheed and the commutation of ex defense minister Mohamed Nazim’s jail sentence to house arrest, saying he is yet to receive any information on the matter.

‘Drug trafficker’ acquitted on lapses highlighted in former president’s trial

‘Drug trafficker’ acquitted on lapses highlighted in former president’s trial

Citing severe procedural irregularities, the Supreme Court on Thursday acquitted a man sentenced to life in prison over drug trafficking charges. The irregularities are similar to those highlighted by ex president Mohamed Nasheed and ex defence minister Mohamed Nazim in their criminal court trials.

Comment: Special laws must not pre-empt general criminal law

Special laws must not pre-empt general criminal law

Laws like on anti-terror are legitimised under the pretext that “special circumstances require special procedures” but are often an excuse to let the inefficiencies of the state continue at the expense of civil liberties, writes Devyani Srivastava.

Freedom for ex president on the horizon, suggests MDP

Following a third meeting of talks with the government, the MDP has raised hope of freedom for convicted opposition leader and former president Mohamed Nasheed by July 26, the day Maldives marks 50 years of independence from the British.

Comment: Did former Maldives leader receive a fair trial?

In such a politically charged case, media reporting can take a sensationalist and selective approach, writes Toby Cadman. “As with all cases, there are two sides to any argument, but the government’s position has not been given any attention and the offence for which the former president was convicted has been unnecessarily trivialized.”

Government responds to UN on ex-president’s terrorism trial

The Maldivian government, in a response to the UN working group on arbitrary detention today, contended a terrorism conviction against former president Mohamed Nasheed was not politically motivated and that allegations of lack of due process is factually incorrect.