President Nasheed’s appeal case scheduled for Sunday at Supreme Court

Supreme Court has scheduled the second hearing of the former President Mohamed Nasheed’s appeal of his 13-year prison sentence for Sunday.

The time for the hearing is unclear at the time. Supreme Court sent the notice to the Prosecutor General’s Office (PG Office) and the Ex-President’s lawyers this evening.

President Nasheed was sentenced to 13 years in prison after being convicted of terrorism for his involvement in the unlawful arrest of the Criminal Court Judge, Abdulla Mohamed.

After the PG Office appealed the case at the High Court to validate the 13-year sentence, the High Court addressed the concerns raised by the Ex-President’s legal team and threw out the case.

At the last hearing at the Supreme Court, Chief Justice, Abdulla Saeed said that the case ongoing now is the appeal of the High Court’s decision.

Lawyer Hassan Latheef appeared at the hearing on 3 February in place of the former President. At the latest hearing, the PG Office presented their case at the court.

Public Prosecutor, Ahmed Hisham Vajeeh said that the case being presented by the state is to confirm that the High Court’s decision when the PG Office appealed was a valid ruling as per the laws of the Maldives and the international regulations.

The PG Office presented four points at the case. The first of which is to confirm that appropriate time was given to and enabled to appoint legal counsel as he chooses in reference to Article 51-E of the Maldivian Constitution.

Hisham said that even during the proceedings at the Criminal Court, President Nasheed had the same lawyers he had back when the case was at the Hulhumalé Court. A long period is to be given to respond to the charges if the former President hired new lawyers to the proceedings at the Criminal Court.

And so the state has requested to ensure that appropriate time was given to prepare for the case.

The state prosecutors said that at the first hearing at the Criminal Court, the judges granted the request by the defence and granted three days to respond to the charge.

And after that the case proceeded smoothly until 8 March when the lawyers informed that they were leaving the case. The state said that even after that, President Nasheed continued to get legal counsel from the same lawyers even after they left the case.

PG also requested to confirm that the defence was allowed to question the witnesses and present evidence.

The state prosecutor said that the defence took the opportunity and named witnesses but failed to mention as to why they were witnesses even when the trial ended.

The state also requested that if the Court deems it fit, to restart the proceedings at the Supreme Court.