Parliament has accepted the resolution to request the Supreme Court to overturn former President Mohamed Nasheed's prison conviction.
The resolution was passed at Sunday’s sitting with 48 voting in favor, five opposing, and four abstaining.
The resolution, signed by 49 MPs, states that Nasheed’s conviction was politically motivated and violated international treaties the Maldives is party to. It has now been forwarded to the committee on independent institutions for evaluation.
Earlier on Sunday, the Prosecutor General’s office also requested the Supreme Court to review Nasheed’s 13-year prison term on a terrorism-related conviction as well as the appeal process.
The opposition leader was sentenced in March 2015 after being found guilty of ordering the arrest of a judge in 2012, while he was president. The Supreme Court upheld the verdict in June 2017 despite public outcry and concerns from the international community over irregularities in his trial.
Nasheed has been living in self-exile since receiving political asylum from the United Kingdom during a medical trip in January 2016. He is set to return on November 1.
Want to share a story with raajje.mv? email us at [email protected] or call (+960) 9110099