Supreme Court has upheld the 13 year jail verdict issued on former President Mohamed Nasheed. The decision was passed in the Supreme Court hearing held today.
The former President was sentenced to serve 13 years in jail after having being proven guilty of illegally detaining Criminal Court Judge Abdullah Mohamed in Girifushi island by using MNDF officials.
The trial was started in 2013, but had languished over months. The trials were restarted and sentenced last year. Nasheed's defense had consistently stated that they had not been granted enough time to prepare their defense and the trial was not a just one.
Nasheed's defense had submitted their case to the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, which had declared the trial was a flawed one and recommended to release Nasheed.
Supreme Court verdict today said the lower Court verdict on the matter was just and within constitutional and judicial means. Chief Justice Abdullah Saeed said the defense had ample time to prepare their defense and Nasheed had not been deprived from any rights.
He said the Criminal Court had granted access to a lawyer and present evidence. Chief Justice said Nasheed had been granted ample time to appoint a lawyer and had carried out the trials with a lawyer. However, the lawyer had recused himself mid-trial and even after this, Nasheed was given time to appoint a lawyer.
The Chief Justice also said that Judge Abdullah Mohamed had not participated in the Criminal Court bench.
With the Supreme Court ruling Nasheed now has no legal avenues to challenge his 13 year jail verdict. His only option now is if President Yameen pardons his verdict.
The new changes to the regulations on pardoning states that the President can only pardon once the individual served two thirds of his sentence.
