Australia expresses concerns about Nasheed

Australia has expressed their concerns after the former president Mohamed Nasheed was sentenced to 13 years in prison.

The former president Mohamed Nasheed was sentenced to 13 years in prison last Friday after he was found guilty of the unlawful arrest of the Chief Judge of the Criminal Court Abdulla Mohamed.

The Australian High Commission on Colombo issued a press release today saying that they have been monitoring the situation since the former president’s arrest on 22 February.

And while the situation is being monitored, concerns about the legal proceedings have been shared directly with the Maldivian government through the Maldivian ambassador for Australia.

“As a fellow member of the Commonwealth and signatories to the International Convention on Civil and Political Rights, Australia and the Maldives share a commitment to fundamental rights and freedoms, including those of due process, judicial fairness and rule of law.” The statement said.

The Australian government urged the Maldivian government to ensure that any appeal process for the former President to be handled transparently.

And called the political parties in Maldives to act with restraint and resolve the political differences peacefully.

Along with the concerns about the President Nasheed’s sentencing, the press issue also urge caution to the Australian citizens when travelling to the Maldives.

While the United States and India has already expressed their concerns, the European Union (EU) has questioned the fairness of the sentence.