Nasheed’s lawyers ask to be allowed to observe May 6 blast trials

Legal representatives of Parliament Speaker, former President Mohamed Nasheed have asked the Criminal Court to allow them into the courtroom to observe the trials of the suspects charged for the assassination attempt on him last year.

A homemade remote-controlled IED was strapped to motorcycle parked nearby Nasheed’s residence, and was detonated at 08:27 pm on May 6, 2021, just as Nasheed exited his residence and went to get in his car. Nasheed was thrown to the ground and sustained multiple shrapnel wounds, while three members of his security detail and two bystanders sustained minor wounds.  

In a letter addressed to Criminal Court’s chief judge Ahmed Shakeel on Thursday, Nasheed’s legal representatives said that it was Nasheed himself who was the biggest victim of the attack, and asked that at least two of his four lawyers be allowed admittance to the courtroom to observe the trials.

Nasheed’s lawyers are:

Ahmed Nazim Abdul Sattar, The Litigants LLP

Kirsty Brimelow (QC), Doughty Street Chambers

Fath’hulla Ali, The Litigants LLP

Ahmed Niyaz, The Litigants LLP

Of the suspects were charged in connection to the attack, only one,  Adhuham Ahmed Rasheed,who confessed to detonating the IED, was convicted. He was sentenced to 23 years in prison in December last year after he signed a plea deal with the state.

Nasheed’s lawyers have asked to observe the trials of the remaining ten defendants. They are:

• Mujaz Ahmed, Ma. Feyruge, K. Male’  

• Hassan Yaseen, Dhafthar 6231

An additional suspect arrested in the case – Ahmed Fathih, Dunfiniufaa, L. Gan – was released due to insufficient evidence.