Former Maldiv President Mohammad Nasheed released from Police custody

Male: Former Maldivian President Mohamed Nasheed on Wednesday walked out of police custody as his trial for alleged illegal detention of a judge has been deferred by four weeks.
“Nasheed has walked out as a free man. He was taken into custody on orders of the court because he was evading Court summons and not because of any vendetta as he claims,” President Mohamed Waheed’s Press Secretary Masood Imad said.

He added, “We have maintained right from the beginning that we cannot interfere in judicial matters. Even the trail against him has been postponed by four weeks only because of the wishes of the Court”.

Nasheed claims the trial is “politically motivated” to bar him from contesting in the presidential elections. If convicted in the case, he will face a maximum sentence of one year in jail. He will also be barred from contesting elections for three years.