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EU criticises conviction of former Maldives president

14 March 2015, 11:52 CET
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(BRUSSELS) - The conviction of former Maldives president and opposition leader Mohamed Nasheed "raises very serious questions" about the legal system in the Indian Ocean archipelago, the European Union said Saturday.

Nasheed was sentenced to 13 years in prison after he was convicted late on Friday under the country's tough anti-terror law of ordering the arrest of a chief judge when he was president in January 2012.

"The conviction of former President Mohamed Nasheed for charges under anti-terrorist legislation raises very serious questions about due process of law and risks undermining people's trust in the independence of the judiciary," an EU foreign affairs spokesperson said in a statement.

The statement said the Maldives had a "binding obligation" to treat all citizens with respect for the rule of law, due legal process and independence of the judiciary in line with the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.

Lawyers for Nasheed, the Maldives' first democratically elected leader, resigned before the end of his brief trial, saying it was biased and aimed at destroying his political career.

It came amid growing opposition to the government of President Abdulla Yameen and will effectively prevent Nasheed from running for president at the 2018 elections.

Nasheed's Maldivian Democratic Party said MDP lawyers would appeal the opposition leader's conviction in the high court.

If indeed there is an appeal, the EU statement said "the appeal process must be fair and transparent."

The EU urged "all sides in the Maldives to act responsibly and uphold constitutional freedoms."


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