Former President of the Maldives Maumoon Abdul Gayoom has been sentenced to jail. Maumoon will serve a total of 19 months and 6 days in jail. He is accused of plotting to overthrow the government and for failing to corporate with police investigations.
Maldives’ chief justice, Abdulla Saeed, who was arrested with Gayoom and judge Ali Hameed of the Supreme Court of Maldives too have been given the same sentences.
The Maldives became a multiparty democracy in 2008, ending Gayoom’s 30-year strongman rule. However, Yameen, who was elected in 2013, has rolled back much of the democratic gains.
Maldives President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom imposed a state of emergency on February 5 for 15 days to annul a February 1 Supreme Court ruling that quashed convictions against nine opposition leaders and ordered his government to free those held in prison.
Under the emergency, Yameen’s administration arrested former president Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, the chief justice, another Supreme Court judge, and a Supreme Court administrator on allegations of attempting to overthrow the government. They have all rejected the charges.
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