Former Vice President Ahmed Adheeb, who is serving a thirty-three-year jail sentence cannot be transferred to house arrest, the Maldives Correctional Services has said.

The correctional services said this in response to a request from Adheeb’s family, asking that the accused assassination conspirator be transferred home for the duration of the ongoing month of Ramadan.

The letter informing Adheeb’s lawyer and family of the decision did not reveal any further details. His lawyer, Moosa Siraj, has said that while they responded to this request – they have yet to respond to requests to allow Adheeb leave for medical treatment.

Last week, the Human Rights Commission of Maldives began investigation negligence claims against state institutions over the authorities’ refusal to grant the former vice president medical leave.

Adheeb’s family had released a statement earlier this month claiming that the Adheeb has developed an internal cyst, kidney stones, and vision impairment from glaucoma since his incarceration in 2015.

His family has accused the state of negligence in failing to provide the former vice president with adequate medical care during his isolated incarceration in Dhoonidhoo Island while the police investigated him.

Adheeb, the youngest individual thus far to have served as vice president, was sentenced to a total of 33 years in prison for a reported assassination attempt against President Abdulla Yameen and for his role in the heavily publicized case of graft involving the state-operated Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Corporation.