High Court denies request to release MP Jabir from prison

High Court has denied a request by MP Jabir’s legal team to release the Kaashidhoo MP from prison, until the court reaches a decision on an appeal to delay serving his sentence.

MP Jabir is currently serving a 12-month prison sentence for refusing to provide urine samples to the authorities following his arrest from Haa Dhaalu Hondaidhoo in November 2012.

At the appeal hearing on Monday, member of MP Jabir’s legal team Ahmed Abdulla Afeef argued that as the Elections Commission has accepted Jabir’s candidacy, and thus, the MP must be released to campaign for the upcoming parliamentary election.

Another member of MP Jabir’s legal team Ibrahim Riffath told the court that the Criminal Court had violated procedure in reaching MP Jabir’s sentence.

Riffath also said that, while the defence had argued of the possibility that the officers who provided witness testimonies during the trial could have been the same officers who tortured MP Jabir during the arrest, the Criminal Court had dismissed the argument without providing an opportunity to the defence to prove the their claims.

State prosecutor Safa Ibrahim told the court that the Police Integrity Commission’s report had revealed, except for that of one individual, the identities of the officers accused of torturing the MP. Therefore, even if one of the three officer who provided witness testimony took part in the torture, testimony of the other two witnesses will still be relevant, she said.

Concluding the hearing, the bench said that the court will hear arguments from both side in the next hearing, to be scheduled at a later date. MP Jabir was also present in court on Monday, produced by the Maldives Correctional Service.