The Police deny rumors that former President Nasheed is in custody

The Maldives Police Service has denied rumors which claim that former President Mohamed Nasheed was being detained.

The Police have clarified the point at a time when some foreign media outlets have reported, on the authority of some of Nasheed’s family members, that he was in police custody.

The Police Media Official said today that Nasheed was being given full security in accordance with the law, and that he was never arrested by the police or military.

Former President Nasheed was forced into resignation by a peaceful revolution which was finally backed up by the Police and the military. The revolution was triggered by the unconstitutional and unlawful arrest of Chief Judge of the Criminal Court by Nasheed’s administration. Nasheed and his party also ridiculed and ignored Supreme Court and High Court orders to release the judge, whose whereabouts were not revealed by the government for days into his arrest.

For three weeks protests followed, and discontentment among the military and, especially the police, intensified as they had to enforce one illegal order after another. A unit of Police officers gathered at the Republican Square during the early hours of 7th February, in defiance of illegal government orders.

Dr. Muhammad Waheed Hassan Manik, the new President who stepped in after Nasheed’s resignation, has repeatedly assured that Nasheed would be afforded all protection that he is entitled to as former President under the law.