Nasheed: No free and fair talks when leaders are “abducted”

Former Maldivian President Mohamed Nasheed has said that there can be no free and fair all-party talks as long as political leaders are being kept “abducted”.

Nasheed tweeted on Monday that the Maldivian government first needed to free all political leaders if they wanted to hold all-party talks in the country.

Siyaasee leaderun raheenunge gothugai baithibaigen hama hama mashvaraa eh nuhingeyne. Mashvaragai baiveri veveynee leaderun minivan kurumun.

— Mohamed Nasheed (@MohamedNasheed) July 18, 2016

Nasheed made the comments in response to the government’s announcement that all-party talks would resume on Tuesday.

The government held a press conference regarding the talks on Monday, during which Minister of Fisheries Dr. Mohamed Shainee said that the government was ready to include opposition political leaders in the all-party talks.

Shainee said that United Nations Special Envoy Samuel Tamrat would arrive in Maldives this Monday, and said that government had no demands.

Nasheed was sentenced to prison for 13 years after he was found guilty of abducting former Chief Judge of Criminal Court, Abdulla Mohamed.

He obtained permission from the government to travel to UK for medical treatment and never returned.

He has now been granted “political refugee” status by the British government.

Meanwhile, Adhaalath Party leader Imran Abdulla is serving a 12-year prison sentence after he was found guilty of inciting violence during May Day protest in 2015.