PG requests Supreme Court to revise Nasheed’s conviction

Prosecutor General’s Office has submitted a case with the Supreme Court to revise the 13-year prison sentence against former Maldivian President Mohamed Nasheed.

Nasheed was issued the 13-year prison sentence over the detention of former Chief Judge of Criminal Court, Abdulla Mohamed on January 16, 2012, during his administration.

He was charged under Article 4 (b) of the previous Anti-Terrorism Act in reference to Article 2 (b) of the same Act.

The Criminal Court found him guilty of the charge in 2015. And the ruling was upheld by the High Court, and later the Supreme Court as well.

The Prosecutor General’s Office sent a petition to the Supreme Court this Sunday, saying the office was receiving requests for inquiry into certain possible issues with the conviction, and that the office felt the issue was of high public interest.

PG’s Office referred to its authority to appeal verdicts or decisions made by the courts in criminal cases and its obligation to uphold the Constitution, laws and the rights of individual citizens, and asked the Supreme Court to review the Criminal Court’s verdict and the decisions by High Court and Supreme Court in the case.

Nasheed’s appeal at the Supreme Court was presided over by former Chief Justice Abdulla Saeed, Justice Ali Hameed Mohamed, Justice Abdulla Areef, Justice Adam Mohamed Abdulla and Justice Ahmed Abdulla Didi.

Nasheed, who is currently living in exile in the UK has promised to return to Maldives on November 1. There is legal debate over whether Nasheed will be taken to prison to serve out his sentence, or whether he will be freed.

Nasheed was also charged with terrorism over the detention of current President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom at K. Aarah in 2010. The charge was recently withdrawn by the Criminal Court.