MP Ahmed Mahloof, convicted of obstructing law enforcement, released
Mahloof was sentenced to two consecutive sentences that amount to 10 months and 24 days for obstruction of a law enforcement officer
MP Ahmed Mahloof escorted by officers of the Correctional Services
MP Ahmed Mahloof, who was escorted home on Friday after having served out two consecutive sentences against him on charges of obstructing police justice, has been released.
Mahloof’s family has confirmed his release and the parliamentarian himself sent out a tweet shortly after.
The parliamentarian spoke to RaajjeMV and said that he was told by officers of the Maldives Correctional Services at around 07:00 am that he was to be released.
“This is also unprocedural, whenever an inmate is released his or her family must be notified first” Mahloof said.
The opposition parties have scheduled a rally in order to welcome Mahloof, which will be held on Friday night at 09:45 pm.
Opposition leaders have welcomed the parliamentarian upon his release.
Earlier this week, a United Nations’ working group called on the Maldivian government to release the MP and to pay damages for the ‘unlawful arrest’.
Mahloof was sentenced to two consecutive jail terms that amount to 10 months and 24 days for obstruction of a law enforcement officer.
MP Mahloof’s family had also raised concern that their appeal asking to overturn the Criminal Court sentence had been stalled. While Mahloof was to be released on Friday, the High Court only made a ruling on Thursday.
Mahloof is an independent parliamentarian who has been working with the opposition. Prior to his sentencing, he had also been the spokesperson of the opposition alliance, Maldives United Opposition (MUO). The largest opposition party in the country, Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) has filed Mahloof's case in Inter Parliamentary Union (IPU).
