Jailed Maldives ex-pres is in 'remarkably good spirit', Amal Clooney says

 

 

Clooney -- who has notably defended Mohamed Fahmy, one of three Al-Jazeera journalists sentenced to jail in Egypt – arrived in the Maldives on Monday while her Washington-based co-counsel Jared Genser is expected to be in the Maldives later Tuesday.

After a two hour long meeting with the ex-president in Maafushi Island, Clooney said Nasheed had urged the Maldivian people to remain hopeful that ‘things will improve’.

“He is extremely pleased that I’ll be attending meetings on his behalf with the government this week,” she continued.

They have requested meetings with President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom, Vice President Ahmed Adeeb, Attorney General Mohamed Anil, foreign minister Dhunya Maumoon, home minister Umar Naseer and Prosecutor General Muhthaz Muhsin.

However, the government earlier Tuesday had said Attonrey General Mohamed Anil would represent the government at the meetings.

Nasheed’s attorneys would be able to clarify “any information” from him, government spokesperson Ibrahim Muaz Ali had said earlier.

The ex-president was sentenced to 13 years in prison in March over the arbitrary arrest of chief criminal judge Abdulla Mohamed during his presidency. 

The prosecutor general had appealed the sentence based on the “procedural irregularities” flagged by the defence during the trial after the ex-president had waived his right to appeal.

High Court is to hold a pre-trial hearing of Nasheed’s state initiated appeal at 2pm Wednesday.