Disagreements between the police and SPG bodyguards during Nasheed

The police have said that verbal exchanges took place between the police and Nasheed’s Special Protection Group (SPG) bodyguards during the operation by the police to implement the court order to arrest Nasheed in order to produce him in Hulhumale’ Court tomorrow evening.

At a press conference at Iskandar Koshi today, the police showed a video of their operation to arrest Nasheed.

The video showed that Nasheed was taken under arrest while he was walking near Centre for Higher education (CHSE) at around 1:30pm.

As the special team of police officers involved in the operation surrounded Nasheed, verbal clashes took place between the police and SPG personnel. They were also seen pushing one another.

Clashes also took place between police officers and members of Nasheed’s team who were walking with him, including former Foreign Minister Ahmed Naseem.

The time lapse between arresting Nasheed near CHSE and getting him on board the police speedboat near Shaheed Hussain Adam Building was about nine minutes.

The unedited video showed two of Nasheed’s bodyguards angrily addressing the police officers who had surrounded Nasheed.

Superintendent of Police Abdullah Nawaz said regarding the operation conducted to arrest Nasheed, that ‘verbal exchanges took place between the two groups’, and that the bodyguards wanted to know ‘why, and how’ the operation was being conducted.

The video however showed the bodyguards repeatedly posing questions to the police officers who had surrounded Nasheed to provide him protection. It was not possible to make out what they were saying.

Nawaz said that bodyguards should not ask questions once the court issues an order to arrest Nasheed. He said that everything was clear once they were shown the court order, and that no further questions were asked after that.

“I don’t believe that there should be any questions. Once a court issues an order, we have to obey it,” Nawaz said.

He said that information related to the police operation has been shared with Human Rights Commission of the Maldives (HRCM) and Police Integrity Commission (PIC).

He said that he was not informed if HRCM had requested to meet with Nasheed after he was taken to Dhoonidhoo.

Nawaz said that 47 people including 16 women and 31 men were arrested at today’s protests.

Nawaz described the attacks on police officers and journalists at the protests today as uncivilised, and said that the incidents will be investigated.