The High Court has delayed the trial of former President Mohamed Nasheed until July 25, after he requested the court grant him permission to leave the country to perform Umrah – a pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia.
High Court Spokesperson Ameen Faisal confirmed to Minivan News that the High Court had informed Nasheed it had no objection to his request.
“Nasheed told the court that he wished to leave the country July 6-25 to visit Saudi Arabia and Dubai,” Ameen said.
“The court regulations state that if a respondent or defendant in a lawsuit wishes to leave the country they have to ask the court for permission.”
Ameen said that the court had not decided on a date for the next hearing of the case.
Nasheed filed a case at the High Court challenging the legitimacy of the panel of judges at the Hulhumale’ court appointed by the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) to preside over his trial, in which he was charged for detaining Chief Judge of the Criminal Court Abdulla Mohamed in early 2012.
The case was previously delayed after the Chief Judge of the High Court Ahmed Shareef, who was on the bench presiding over the case submitted by Nasheed, was suspended by the JSC.
A hearing of the case had been scheduled for July 7.
The High Court had previously issued a stay order on the Hulhumale Magistrate Court, requiring it to suspend all criminal trials concerning the arrest of the judge pending a ruling on the legitimacy of the court bench.
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