UK’s Ari News has reported that former President Mohamed Nasheed had been awarded refugee status from UK, as confirmed by Nasheed.
No additional details had been made public in the paper, except quoting Nasheed that he had been awarded refugee status. Therefore, it is not clear whether this was the status offered to the former President before 2008 or it was a new one.
The Government had granted Nasheed medical leave to go abroad, in spite of his 13-year jail term on terror charges, on the account that he was a former President. The paper had highlighted this fact as well.
Foreign Minister Dunya Maumoon had said that Government had not received notification that refugee status was granted to Nasheed, adding that they were investigating the claims.