Maldives police officials yesterday said they arrested 31 supporters of former Maldivian president Mohamed Nasheed during a mass rally in the islands’ capital that was protesting his detention on terrorism charges.
Officials said the supporters were taken into custody late on Friday after thousands took to the streets of Male over authorities’ treatment of Nasheed, whose detention has sparked international condemnation.
“We arrested 31 people and four have been released,” a police official told reporters, without giving further details.
Photo: AFP
The city was calm yesterday after witnesses said officers were seen clashing with demonstrators in several areas of the capital, Male, during the protest, which Nasheed’s opposition Maldivian Democratic Party said drew 10,000 people.
Authorities gave no official estimate of the size of the crowds.
DEFENSE CONCERNS
Photo: AFP
Protesters were angered by news that Nasheed, the nation’s first democratically elected leader and who stood down in 2012, had been given just three days to prepare his defense for his latest court appearance.
Nasheed’s lawyers also said he had been denied access to his defense team as he was brought before the court on Thursday on charges dating back to his sacking of one of the islands’ top judges while he was president.
Supporters of the Jumhooree Party, a former ally of Maldivian President Abdulla Yameen, also joined the opposition rally that marched through narrow streets to express solidarity with their one-time rival Nasheed.
Nasheed was arrested last Sunday and charged with terrorism over the detention of Criminal Court Chief Judge Abdullah Mohamed in 2012.
The US and India have voiced concern over the charges, which carry a prison sentence of more than 10 years, and the manner in which Nasheed was dragged into court on Monday last week.
The dramatic arrest came amid mounting opposition to the government of Yameen, whose spokesman on Tuesday last week denied that the move to prosecute Nasheed was politically motivated.
TOURISM TARNISHED
The opposition has held regular night rallies over the past year to protest what they call growing authoritarianism, which has damaged the nation’s image as a tourist destination.
Nasheed resigned as the Maldives’ leader in February 2012 after a mutiny by police and troops that followed weeks of protests over the arrest of the judge on corruption allegations.
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