Maldives defends arrest of Nashee

Male, February 24 

The Maldives government today defended the arrest of Mohamed Nasheed on terrorism charges and accused the former president of performing “stunts” to grab global attention after India and the US voiced concern over his detention.

“When the case begins in a court, how can it be called a political act in a society that believes offenders must be tried?” Presidential Affairs Minister Mohamed Hussein Shareef argued. Lawyers for the former president’s Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) said the charges were politically motivated.

Nasheed was arrested on Sunday under anti-terrorism laws for allegedly ordering the arrest a senior judge in 2012 that triggered violence in the Indian Ocean island. — PTI