Those who wish to attend Nasheed

Persons wishing to attend the trial against former President Mohamed Nasheed for the illegal arrest of Chief Judge of Criminal Court Abdullah Mohamed, are required to fill out and submit a form.

Spokesperson of Department of Judicial Administration Latheefa Gasim said that this decision was made following requests by a large number of people wishing to attend the trial.

“Permission will be given in the order that the forms are received, for as many people as the room can take,” she said.

The trial is scheduled to begin on Monday.

The Court room can hold up to about 50 people.

Forms will be available on Sunday from 10:00 until the end of official work hours, at Fanhiya building first floor, on Haveeree Hingun.

Latheefa also informed that it is the general policy of Magistrate Courts to allow entry to trials by filling out forms. For other Courts, people wishing to enter are required register their names with their Identity Cards.

In addition to Nasheed, the State has pressed charges against former Defence Minister Thalhath Ibrahim Kaleyfaan, former Chief of Defence Force Moosa Ali Jaleel, Brigadier General Ibrahim Mohamed Didi and Colonel Mohamed Ziyad, in relation to the illegal detention of the Criminal Court Chief Judge Abdullah Mohamed in Girifushi Island for 22 days.

They are all charged under article 81 of the Penal Code, which states, “It shall be an offence for any public servant by reason of authority of office he is in to detain to arrest or detain in a manner contrary to Law innocent persons.

“Person guilty of this offence shall be subjected to exile or imprisonment for a period not exceeding 3 years or a fine not exceeding Mrf 2,000.00.”