The Hulhumale’ Magistrate Court has issued a second arrest warrant for former President Mohamed Nasheed, an official from the Judiciary Media Unity has confirmed.
Five days after Nasheed sought refuge inside the Indian High Commission, the Judiciary Media Unity confirmed to Minivan News that Hulhumale’ Magistrate Court has now issued a new arrest warrant, ordering police to produce Nasheed at the court on February 20 at 4:00pm.
Police Spokesperson Sub Inspector Hassan Haneef also confirmed that the Maldives Police Service had received the court order for Nasheed’s arrest.
The former president has been taking refuge inside the Indian High Commission building in Male’ since February 13 to avoid arrest, after Hulhumale’ court previously ordered police to produce him at his scheduled trial.
Nasheed and his party have maintained that the charges put forward against him – of illegally detaining Chief Criminal Court Judge Abdulla Mohamed during his final days in office – are a politically-motivated attempt to prevent him from contesting presidential elections scheduled for later this year.
The latest arrest warrant comes after Nasheed failed to attend the last two scheduled trial hearings on February 10 and February 13.
An official from the Indian High Commission told Minivan News they were waiting to see the arrest warrant and are “watching the current situation”.
The situation has contributed to an escalation in diplomatic tensions between India and the Maldives, which has accused the former of interference in internal Maldivian affairs.
High Commissioner D M Mulay was summoned to the Foreign Ministry on Sunday and presented with a protest note from the government.
On Monday the High Commission released a statement “denying in entirety” allegations that it was being used by the former President “for political meetings and instigating street violence”.
Thousands of supporters of the former president have been protesting in the capital Male’ since Nasheed moved into the Indian High Commission last Wednesday.
On Saturday (February 16) over 5000 supporters marched through the streets of Male’ clashing with police, which resulted in 55 arrests during the night.
Nasheed’s decision to seek asylum in the Indian High Commission caught the attention of the international community last week. The US, UK, EU, UN and Commonwealth have since urged the Maldivian government to show restraint, whilst calling for “inclusive, free and fair elections” in September.
Arrest warrant is a threat to Nasheed’s life: MDP
Following the news of the latest warrant, Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) Spokesperson Hamid Abdul Ghafoor said that the party are “firmly” against the former President from standing trial in an “illegitimate court”.
“The party firmly believes that he should not go [to Hulhumale’ Magistrate Court] and we firmly believe that the arrest warrant threatens his life.
“The moment he steps out of the Indian High Commission, that will be the end of him. Even the international community have recognised this as a witch hunt,” Ghafoor told Minivan News.
When asked as to whether former president will comply with the court order, Ghafoor said “it is Nasheed’s call”.
“The question is, what do the Indians do now? The Maldives authorities will now have to approach the Indian High Commission and ask them to hand him over.
“The minute the Indian government gave him refuge, they took a position. I can’t see the Indian government dropping Nasheed like a hot potato,” Ghafoor added.
The MDP spokesperson claimed the government had alienated itself from the international community given their stance on the matter. Ghafoor further claimed that foreign governments and organisations “can see” that attempts to arrest Nasheed “are nothing more than a witch hunt”.
India’s involvement criticised by Maldives officials
India’s involvement in the political dispute has been criticised by members of the Maldivian government, with the Home Minister Mohamed Jameel Ahmed tweeting last week: “What’s happening now gives us an indication of the extent and level of interest some countries prepared to take in our internal matters,” he said.
“I would strongly urge everyone to let our institutions deal with the challenges, and allow the Maldives to uphold rule of law,” he tweeted.
President of the Maldives, Mohamed Waheed Hassan Manik released his own statement yesterday condemning Nasheed’s actions on Wednesday.
“I am dismayed that the former President Nasheed sought refuge in the Indian High Commission in Male’ when he was summoned to the court. The court order which required the Police to arrest Nasheed and have him appear before the court was due to his refusal to attend court hearing. It had expired at 1600 hours on the 13 February 2013, and there is no reason for him to remain in the High Commission and to instigate street violence.
“The court order has nothing to do with my government. Upholding the rule of law means nobody is above the law. I would like to assure the people of Maldives that the law and order will be maintained,” the President’s statement read.
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Haadah vareh thi vanee Nasheed ge mass kaan.
Mr. Waheed. I am dismayed, along with a large number of Maldivian citizenry, that you talk about ‘ upholding the rue of law.’ We have not seen ‘the rule of law’ being upheld under ‘your’ government or during the period in which the dictator himself was in power. To thinking people ‘the rule of law’ does not mean an out of control police force with batons and chemicals in their hands; nor does it represent the indiscriminate arrests of people who have a legal right and a moral obligation to stand up against your regime’s idea of governance.
Mr. Waheed. I am also dismayed at your dishonesty in trying to make Maldivians believe that you actively endorse the principle that ‘nobody is above the law’. Please Mr. Waheed. Do not insult us. I have hundreds of examples I could use to refute your argument, but one that comes to mind immediately is the question- why is it that the members of the police who perpetrated such violence against us during the first few days of the coup have been allowed to be blatantly ‘above the law’, despite our demands and the advice of international bodies?
And Mr. Waheed. I am dismayed even more when you speak of ‘my government’. Please Mr. Waheed. Wake up. This is not your government; you yourself have admitted that too many people are making the calls in this ‘Unity Government’. You are the regime’s puppet, the ‘fall guy’ who will end up taking the blame. To add insult to injury, you are not even the elected president; you are simply a man who has been manipulated by the regime because they see your naked ambition to have power at any cost.
Finally Mr. Waheed. Please don’t tell us ‘that law and order will be maintained’. The escalation of violence and lawlessness in our society has been so clearly documented, talked and written about, even your own handful of supporters must laugh at such statements.
actually there is nothing president Waheed can do about this. This is about judiciary and Anni. Waheed will also wish judiciary would play it safe. But it appears they just want to add fuel to the fire.
Nasheed case must go on and Nasheed must be brought to court .
Nasheed can bring international observers while he is questioned by the judges and then let foreign observers also judge the fairness if trial also.
Maldives is in a huge dilema irrespective of the outcome of the present situation.
1) If Nasheed gets his way, he would win the election with a landslide victory, not because everyone likes him, but because life for every ordinary Maldivian has gone sour and people are struggling more comparable to those in Spain, Egypt or even Syria. As man made status by the present lawmakers and religious fanatics.
2) If Nasheed loses, Gayoom would resume power, either by taking the helm or installing one his staunch followers. Gasim is a commedian, Umar is no more than a school prefect, Shiyam is a playboy and all others who vie for presidency have no personality, education or charisma to even run their own houses. So it leaves the door open for Yamin, who definitely will be worse than Mubarak or Gaddafi, in brief Ruthless.
So where do we stand? Public disobedience, hatred and personal grudges will increase. The youth shall continue to shall be left to dope more, the women shall continue to be sexual objects with no say in society and the economy will collapse in less than a year. The leftists (ruling and coalition parties) shall hate Indians further, dislike Americans and the Brits and gradually drive the investors away. On the other hand, Nasheed and his gang, who will look like an Indian stooge, will revenge in the worst methods acceptable. All those who toppled him, all those who beat his supporters on the streets shall face the worst wrath that they would regret being alive.
In simple English, Maldives will experience civil war and disobedience. Brothers and sisters will hate or even kill each other, the rich will be targetted as poverty would be everywhere. An Indian will never be able to walk free and none will risk living on inhabited islands. Tourism will drop drastically and believe me or not the Chinese government will withdraw their interest in Maldives and bar its citizens from visiting this beautiful country.
Now its upto you to add the math and guess what is in store for you and your family. NOTHING except blood, hatred and poverty. But we have one possible exit that we learnt from the great leader Nelson Mandela and Desmond Tutu and the ANC party in South Africa:
RECONCILIATION is the only way Maldives can heal, but do we have the mind, patience or even the sense????? God help us.
Fili anni need to come out from his hole and face the trial and proove the innocence.
Unless u are proven your innocence how can v believe you
U seemed to be hiding lot of things which v should have been made aware of.
What would happen if the police storm into the Indian High Commissioner building?
Waheed the traitor, liar, back stabber and currupt dictator!
@mode
It is impossible to get a fair trial in our country you moron. That is the point!
"Upholding the rule of law means nobody is above the law."
Mr Waheed must think that most Maldivians are retards (technically those with an IQ < 70) like some of his cabinet colleagues.
Upholding the rule of law means that you must first have the means to ensure the rule of law and fairness and equality for all before the law. Simple facts prove that this is not the case in the Maldives:
(1) Hulumale Court was established by the Judicial Services Commission (JSC). This JSC has as one of its members, one of the key players in bringing down the government of Nasheed, namely, Gasim Ibrahim. Gasim is one of Nasheed's arch enemies.
(2) The JSC has been found to be a dysfunctional body by the International Commission of Jurists.
(3) The validity of Hulumale Court has been rejected by the Parliament. The Supreme Court narrowly disagreed with Parliament with a vote of 4-3. The deciding vote was cast by a member of the above mentioned JSC that created the Court in the first place!
Now, it doesn't take an Einstein to figure out that Nasheed has all the odds stacked against him, with his trial taking place in the aforementioned Hulumale Court.