Maldives topcourt quashes High Court order to transfer Adeeb

The apex court of Maldives issued an order on Tuesday quashing High Court's order to transfer jailed former vice president, Ahmed Adeeb Abdul Ghafoor under house arrest.

The State appealed the High Court's order that was issued on Monday at the Supreme Court, and requested for a stay order on the implementation of the order. The Supreme Court issued a stay order on Tuesday following the appeal, and prohibited any entities from taking action regarding the High Court order.

Adeeb recently filed a case at the Civil Court, alleging that he was not receiving the necessary medical care in prison. However, the Civil Court had decided that the case is not within their mandate. The case was then appealed at the High Court, where a hearing was held earlier this week. The order to transfer Adeeb to house arrest until a decision is made was issued with the unanimous agreement of all three judges on the bench.

Adeeb had undergone emergency surgery last November before he spent a month under house arrest due to ailing health.

Authorities then transferred ex-VP back to prison, deeming the period recommended by doctors to keep him in a homely environment as expired. He has been hospitalized twice since his transfer back to prison, while Adeeb's spouse Mariyam Nashwa claims his condition has worsened after he was taken back to prison. The family blames the authorities for ignoring the doctor's recommendations.

While this is the case, President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih and Home Minister Imran Abdulla continues to insist that Adeeb is being treated fairly and considerately in prison.

Adeeb's family claims that he has been diagnosed with an internal cyst, kidney stones and a dangerous eye disease “glaucoma”.

The ex-VP is serving 33 years in prison over two counts of terrorism and corruption including the blast aboard the presidential speedboat which has been now confirmed as a plot to assassinate president Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom. He is also facing multiple counts of terrorism and graft charges including a second assassination plot involving a Sri Lankan sniper.