Mohamed Nasheed has been forcibly taken back to jail by Maldivian police, a month after the former president’s 13-year prison term was commuted to house arrest, his party claimed on Monday, describing the move as “arbitrary and illegal”.
Nasheed’s party the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) said that policemen, without a court <g data-gr-id="15">warrant</g> forcefully entered his home yesterday, breaking the main gate of the house and pepper sprayed those inside the house indiscriminately.
The party strongly condemned Nasheed’s arrest by the Maldives Correctional Service and Maldives
Police Service, calling it “arbitrary and illegal”.
“The transfer of President Nasheed back to jail is a blatant violation of the Constitution,” the party said in a statement.
The correctional service, however, said that the 48-year-old ex-president was “temporarily” transferred to house arrest for eight weeks due to health reasons – in accordance with his doctor’s advice to allow him to be in a “stress free environment”.
The eight weeks ended last Friday. Despite rumours of a permanent transfer to house arrest, no official decision was made public regarding the matter. And on Sunday, the ex-president was taken back to prison, officials at correctional service said.