President Nasheed decides to appeal his 13-year prison sentence

Former President Mohamed Nasheed who was convicted of terrorism and sentenced to 13 years in prison has decided to appeal his case at the Supreme Court.

At the press conference held today by the former President’s legal team, lawyer Ibrahim Riffath said that they decided not to appeal the case at the High Court because two of the judges that were at Nasheed’s trial at the Criminal Court have now been transferred to the High Court.

“There are a total of five judges at the Maldivian High Court now. Two of those five judges, Judge Abdulla Didi and Judge Sujaau Usman are two judges that were on the case of terrorism against President Mohamed Nasheed at the Criminal Court.” Lawyer Riffath said.

Lawyer Mahfooz Saeed on the former President Nasheed’s legal team said that the trial against the former President was not a trial related to terrorism.

He said that if that trial took place under the new penal code, President Nasheed would have been sentenced to one year in prison.

President Nasheed’s lawyer, Hisan Hussain said that the former President is not a stubborn person and although he has previously decided not to appeal his case, he has changed his mind.

Hisan said that he believes that a lighter sentence would be passed on President Nasheed under the new penal code.

President Nasheed has previously said that he wants a political solution. But President Abdulla Yamin Abdul Gayoom said that there is nothing that a president can do before the legal procedure has been resolved.

Former President Nasheed has decided to appeal his case at the Supreme Court after court accepted the Prosecutor General’s appeal of the case.

The Prosecutor General appealed the case at the Supreme Court after the High Court rejected the appeal.

High Court rejected the appeal with a verdict addressing all the concerns raised by President Nasheed’s legal team.

Former President Mohamed Nasheed was sentenced to 13 years in prison after being convicted of ordering the arrest of the Chief Judge of the Criminal Court Judge Abdulla Mohamed as the Commander in Chief and taking the judge to the Military training island of Girifushi for 22 days.