Jailed former president Maumoon Abdul Gayoom's spouse Nasreena Ibrahim has urged the chief prosecutor and the chief criminal judge to transfer her ailing husband to house arrest for the Holy month of Ramadan.
The 80 year old now charged with terrorism over the coup plot has warned authorities of health risk while his family had claimed that Gayoom's health continues to worsen.
Gayoom's repeated requests to be transferred to house arrest have been ignored.
In separate letters to the chief prosecutor and the chief criminal judge, Nasreena said her husband had been suffering from dizzy spells making it difficult for him to even go to the bathroom without help.
Gayoom's family had said he was suffering from a condition known as Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV) which causes dizziness which has high risk of fall and injury.
Nasreena said in the present condition, her husband would be unable to offer prayer during the holy month without assistance and urged the authorities to transfer him to house arrest at least until the end of Ramadan.
The former first lady had earlier urged police to let her share a cell with her ailing husband.
The island nation has been embroiled in fresh political turmoil after the Supreme Court on February 1 ordered the immediate release of jailed political leaders including self-exiled former president Mohamed Nasheed.
President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom on February 5 had declared state of emergency after his last ditch attempt to convince the top court to revoke the order failed, purged the Supreme Court by arresting two judges and the remaining political leaders and ultimately had the order revoked.
Yameen's half-brother and former president Gayoom, chief justice Abdulla Saeed, top court judge Ali Hameed and four former government lawmakers which included Gayoom's son Faris Maumoon have been charged with terrorism for their involvement in the coup plot through the February 1 court order.
The pre-trial hearings of the six had been held separately, but the judge had said the six would stand trial together as the prosecution evidence and witnesses against them were the same.
In addition to the six, two former police commissioners and Gayoom's son in law have also been charged with terrorism. But their trials have been held separately.
