Former President Mohamed Nasheed’s Office has stated that newly instated Judges to High Court, Sujau Usman and Abdullah Didi, were instated to the Court to oversee Nasheed’s appeal, if it was filed for appeal.
A statement released by the Office stated that Sujau and Didi was instated to the High Court from Criminal Court at the time Government was calling on all political arrestees to appeal their sentences issued by Criminal Court. The statement noted that Sujau and Didi were part of the bench that had overseen the case of President Nasheed and other such political arrestees.
The statement added that Judge Didi was of a poor educational background and that he was a material witness in the case in addition to presiding the case. It was due to this reason, the statement said that the international community had raised issues on the judiciary of the nation.
The statement said that the two were part of the bench that delivered the 11 year jail term for former Defense Minister Mohamed Nazim and said that Nazim had filed the appeal as well.
Additionally, the statement noted that they were part of the bench overseeing the case against Adhaalath Party President Sheikh Imran.
The statement highlighted that this was a clear indication of the politicization of the judicial system.