Permission to enter High Commission to be requested, if court issues order to arrest Nasheed

Foreign Minister Dr Abdul Samad Abdullah said that if the court issues another order to arrest former President Mohamed Nasheed, a request will be made from India for permission to enter the Indian High Commission where Nasheed has been since yesterday.

Dr Samad said at a press conference held at Foreign Ministry today that Nasheed is not a ‘big criminal’, and that India had not yet been requested to facilitate his arrest. He said that if something similar happens again, discussions will be held with India and a request will be made for permission to enter the Indian High Commission.

“Because things weren’t done by then [4:00 pm yesterday] there was no arrest warrant after that. If something similar happens again, if assistance is requested, we would [hold discussions],” he said.

The Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations (VCDR) states that the premises of foreign embassies are protected and must not be entered by the host country, except with the permission of the head of the mission.

When asked by Sun if a request had been made previously for permission to enter the High Commission and arrest Nasheed, Dr Samad said that he believes that things have gone far enough to justify doing so.