16 people were arrested during yesterday

Police have said that 16 people were arrested during the protests yesterday. The protests were staged by Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) claiming that the purpose of the court case taken up by the state against former President Mohamed Nasheed was to bar him from competing in the upcoming presidential election.

Police said that the people arrested from the protest yesterday near Majeedhiyya School also included a minor below 18 years of age.

Protesters toppled police barricades and threw rocks and glass at the police. Police say that 11 of the people were arrested during the day and 5 people were arrested during the night.

They also noted that one man and one woman arrested from the protests were noticeably drunk at the time of the arrest.

Two of the people arrested have been released after imposing them with certain conditions, said the Police.

The protests started due to a court order issued by the Hulhumale’ Court to take MDP presidential candidate Mohamed Nasheed under the custody of the Police in order to take him to the court for a hearing scheduled for yesterday evening. During the protest, MDP supporters called on judges to refrain from practicing selective justice.

The charges were taken up by the state against Nasheed for the illegal detention of the Criminal Court judge Abdulla Mohamed during Nasheed’s presidency.