Former President Yameen refuses to get vaccinated against COVID-19

Former Maldivian President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom - serving a five-year sentence for money laundering - has refused to get vaccinated against COVID-19.

Maldives Correctional Service reports Yameen was transported to Male’ City to get administered the COVID-19 vaccine at approximately 09:45 pm on Wednesday. He was transported back to Maafushi Prison after he refused to get vaccinated.

Sun has been informed Yameen was transported to Male’ to get administered the Pfizer vaccine, available only to select groups by appointment.

Yameen’s refusal to get vaccinated comes after he refused to vote in the recent Local Council Elections.

President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih provided assurance earlier this week that “nothing bad” will happen to Yameen, and that discussions are underway to transfer him to home confinement or lessen his sentence some other way.

Yameen’s family and his political party PPM have repeatedly requested for his to be transferred to home confinement on health grounds.