After serving 10-months and 24-days in prison, jailed Galolhu-South MP Ahmed Mahloof was freed on Friday.
Last June, the criminal court had sentenced the newly formed Maldives United Opposition’s (MUO) spokesperson to six-months in prison for obstructing a police officer.
When the MP completed serving time for this offence in January this year, he was sentenced again for entering a restricted area during a protest that took place in March 2015, and was given additional four-months and 24-days by the criminal court.
MP Mahloof had finished serving time for the offences at midnight on Friday and was brought to Male early that morning.
The independent lawmaker had appealed both sentences soon after each verdict; however, an appeal hearing for the first sentence was only scheduled last month. No hearing for the latter sentence has been scheduled yet.
MUO had celebrated MP Mashloof’s release at the main opposition Maldivian Democratic Party’s (MDP) party camp in the capital Male on Friday night.
Jumhoory Party’s leader MP Gasim Ibrahim along with the leaders of MDP and religiously conservative Adhaalath Party, and ruling Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) founder Maumoon Abdul Gayoom’s loyalists – who are all part of the new MUO, had joined together to welcome the popular lawmaker back from prison.
Many opposition supporters had gathered near MDP’s party camp situated in Henveiru ward of Male, where the opposition leaders had addressed the crowd and welcomed MP Mahloof back from prison.
Mahloof, who is popular for his spirited speeches, had also spoken at the rally on Friday night. He had claimed that Maldives is also a prison of sorts for any opposition supporter now, and he listed the opposition leader and supporters who are either serving time for “baseless” charges, or in self-exile in other countries.
During Friday night’s rally, the police had tried to diffuse the large crowds gathered at MDP’s party camp several times, in order to clear the road for traffic to flow through. The police had even used pepper-spray to draw out the crowds.
According to the constitution, a sitting MP will only lose their seat if they are given a prison sentence that exceeds a year; as such, MP Mahloof did not lose his seat and he will be able to attend parliament sittings again.
The appellate court on Thursday upheld the criminal court’s decision to sentence the lawmaker to six months in prison, after he had completed serving time.
Meanwhile, United Nations Working Group had also released a statement on Wednesday urging the Maldivian government to release MP Mahloof immediately and “accord him an enforceable right to compensation and other reparations, in accordance with the international law.”
Further, United Nations Working Group had referred MP Mahloof’s case to the UN Special Rapporteur on Torture, and urged the Maldivian government to abide the principles set out by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.
