Nasheed barred from meeting lawyers

Member of imprisoned former Maldivian President Mohamed Nasheed’s legal team, Hassan Latheef has said that Maldives Corrections Service has barred Nasheed from meeting his lawyers on Monday.

Hassan Latheef spoke to “Sun” and said that Corrections had informed them that they had been barred from meeting Nasheed indefinitely. But that Home Minister’s Bureau had later informed them that they had been barred from meeting their client on Monday based on “situation of the place at the time.”

Meanwhile, Home Minister Umar Naseer on Monday tweeted that Nasheed had spit on the face of a prison employee.

Nasheed’s lawyer said that they called some prison guards to clarify the matter, but that no one had said that such an incident happened.

“I do not find it believable that President Nasheed would spit on someone’s face,” said Hassan Latheef.

A row erupted between Nasheed and government when he was given permission to travel to UK for surgery, but under the condition that someone from Nasheed’s family sign a document saying that he or she will be held liable if Nasheed did not return back to the country.

Nasheed has refused to have anyone in his family sign such a document, and his legal team has said that government had said after discussion with foreign parties that Nasheed would be allowed to travel abroad for medical care with no conditions attached.