High Court: Decision on whether to accept Nasheed

High Court has further postponed its decision on whether to accept the appeal case on the 13-year prison sentence against former president Mohamed Nasheed.

Concluding the preliminary hearing on this case today, the judges announced that a decision on this matter will be announced at a later date.

High Court said that the purpose of today’s hearing was to gather more information, as the appeal case was filed by the Prosecutor General’s (PG) Office – after the lower court ruled in its favour.

State Prosecutors and Nasheed’s lawyers were given time to present their arguments at today’s hearing.

The two sides differed greatly in their opinions on the appeal case filed by the State.

The State, in its case, had avoided taking a stand and instead said that some points were included as put forward by Nasheed’s team.

Nasheed’s team referred to these points and said that an appeal case cannot be filed without taking a stand, and reasons should have been given in every point on whether the policy followed by the lower court was lawful or unlawful.

The State Prosecutor said that the State had avoided taking a stand because it wishes the decision to come from the court.

When asked by the judge if the State has the right to file the appeal case, Nasheed digressed from the question and said that the appeal case was against the public, and not against him.

Nasheed’s lawyer Hisaan Hussain said that the question remains whether the State has the right to file the appeal case, but this does not mean that the State does not have that right, either.