Ex-Maldives President Mohammed Nasheed not to appeal 13-year jail term

Male: Former Maldivian president Mohammed Nasheed, sentenced to 13 years in jail under anti-terrorism laws, has decided not to appeal his conviction citing that the court has not released all the documents related to the case which are important for “a meaningful defence”. [caption id=“attachment_2173161” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Former Maldives President Mohammed Nasheed. AP[/caption] Nasheed’s office issued a statement on Tuesday night saying that the former president has decided not to go for the appeal because the Criminal Court has not released the ‘End of Trial’ report in the case till now. Nasheed’s office said that he believes that he would receive the report of the trial someday and he would be exonerated when that happens. “He (Nasheed) believes that he would be exonerated when he receives the official report. And observing the cases related to the arrest of the Judge Abdulla Mohamed under MNDF custody are important for a meaningful defence,” the statement was quoted as saying by Sun Online. One of Nasheed’s lawyers said the deadline to appeal the sentence against the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) leader expires Sunday, media reports said. A Maldivian court earlier this month had found Nasheed guilty of charges pressed against him under anti-terrorism laws and had handed down a 13-year jail term, sparking protests from his MDP which had decided to launch a national civil disobedience campaign to free their imprisoned leader. India, the US and the European Union have all expressed concern over 47-year-old Nasheed’s imprisonment and conviction for ordering the detention of a judge in 2012 when he was president. Nasheed’s statement also said that since the appeal would depend on the proceedings of the court, the witnesses and the legitimacy of the evidence presented, time is required to review and study the case files before an appeal. “Nasheed believes the most important document for his appeal process is the trial report. There is no way of comparing what truly happened at the court and the contents of the trial report without getting the said report in the first place,” the statement said. “The report would contain the witness testimonies, court proceedings and judges decisions,” it said. The statements alleged that the criminal court is obstructing Nasheed’s constitutional right for an appeal process by withholding the trial report and hindering it through clerical means. The Criminal Court said that the brief report has been handed to Nasheed’s lawyers and he can appeal at the higher courts based on its content. It said that the detailed report is being delayed because the former president has not signed his statements. PTI