Dhunya: Nasheed wasn’t sent to UK because of international pressure

Foreign Minister Dhunya Maumoon has said that imprisoned former Maldivian president Mohamed Nasheed had not been granted permission to travel to UK for his surgery due to international pressure.

In response to a question posed by a reporter during press conference held at Foreign Ministry on Tuesday, Dhunya said that Nasheed being allowed to go to UK shortly after high level officials from other countries visited Maldives was just a ‘coincidence’.

“…Yes. I too realize that that you saw permission being given shortly after these visits. This is just how it happened,” said Dhunya.

She said that Nasheed was given permission to go abroad after he sent a written letter requesting it.

When asked whether Nasheed being given the permission was a result of government changing their position on the matter, Dhunya said that government had not changed their ‘standard’.

“What I have to say in this matter is, our standard has not changed in this matter. He is still a prisoner. He is still serving time, in our opinion. Therefore this is just a special leave permitted for a certain time period,” she said.

Dhunya also insisted that visits by high level officials from Sri Lanka, India and UK were not sudden, but planned beforehand. And that the ties between Maldives and those countries were discussed during the visit.