Nasheed's Defence Minister calls President Yameen as witness in terrorism trial

At a hearing for the terrorism charges against former Defence Minister Ameen Faisal on Sunday had him call President Abdulla Yameen as a witness.

Faisal is being tried on terrorism charges for allegedly having ordered President Abdulla Yameen’s detention in 2010, when he was sitting member of parliament.

His defence called President Abdulla Yameen in order to have him testify to the circumstances of the allegations and to affirm the facts of the case.

He had also called former military chief Moosa Ali Jaleel and its head of legal affairs Ali Zabair. Jaleel was also called to testify to the facts while Zubair was called so that he could attest to the legal grounds on which President Yameen was detained.

Prosecutors charged Faisal under Article 2, clause b, of the Prevention of Terrorism Act – for kidnapping and taking a hostage. The case was filed in October, 2016, and all of Faisal’s travel documents have been ceased.

At Sunday’s hearing, the prosecution had presented an anonymous witness who would offer testimony claiming that then President Mohamed Nasheed had explicitly said that Yameen would not be released from state custody.

The prosecution had also presented Ahmed Nazim, an individual close to the President at the time, who would reportedly state that officers ordered to bring Yameen into custody had said they would ‘break down the door’ if he does not allow them access to the premises.

Further evidence against Faisal include a report on the operation that led to alleged detention, a letter from the Prosecutor General asking that Yameen be released, and transcripts of a press conference Nasheed had given at the time.

President Yameen, who represented the Mulaku constituency, was detained on July 14th, taken to Aarah island in Kaafu atoll, and released on the 23rd, nine days later.

Yameen was detained after his release from Police custody, under a Supreme Court order, amidst speculation that bribes were being funnelled to MPs in a bid to remove then President Mohamed Nasheed from office.

However, Nasheed’s government maintained that Yameen was detained for his own safety following a National Security Committee decision. As Minister of Defence, Ameen Faisal would have also been on this committee.

Prosecutors are also pushing to raise terror charges against Nasheed for his alleged involvement in the detention.