Lawyers request more face time with Nasheed

Lawyers of the former President Mohamed Nasheed currently serving a 13-year-prison sentence has requested more time with their client to prepare the documents for the Supreme Court appeal hearing that is getting delayed.

Talking to the press at Malé City after their visit to the former President at K. Maafaushi, lawyer Hassan Latheef said that they get two hours when talking to President Nasheed without meeting him.

As a regulation, visitors get two hours per week to visit inmates in prison. But since President Nasheed’s lawyers said that they want to present the case at the Supreme Court as soon as possible, the Government has given two hour meetings with the former President on Monday and today.

“We appreciate the Government upon our request to hasten the case giving last Monday and today two hours.” Latheef said.

Lawyer Latheef said that two hours is very little time and that they want to work “four five hours” with President Nasheed. And he said that they want an acceptable work environment.

“That would finish this case quicker. We’re saying near a table with what we use to work with, with the use of a laptop, finishing by giving the information President Nasheed wants and the ideas given added to the document, that would be faster.” Latheef said.

Latheef said that they are not complaining but they do want to complete the case soon and those are opportunities the Government can give.

“We are talking about an 800 page document. That includes 53 attachments. So with such a big work only two hours with the client is too less.” Latheef said.

President Nasheed’s legal team also met with the Prosecutor General Aishath Bisam requesting to do what she can to make the process faster.

The former President’s legal team said that they have requested a meeting tomorrow as well and that they are working to present the case as soon as possible.