Qasim Ibrahim appeals jail sentence

Jumhooree Party leader Qasim Ibrahim has appealed his jail sentence at the High Court.

According to Qasim's legal team, they filed the appeal at the High Court on Sunday.

Criminal Court had, on August 24, sentenced the opposition leader to three years, two months and 12 days in prison, after finding him guilty of bribery. He was sentenced in absentia, as he was hospitalized at the time, after having collapsed at the Court earlier that day.

Charges were raised against Qasim under Section 510 of the Penal Code, on bribery and official misconduct, claiming that he had attempted to influence the authority of a public official. He was charged over comments he had made at an opposition gathering on March 26, a day before the scheduled no-confidence motion against the Parliament Speaker.

He was prosecuted for having said he would aid potential candidates that run for future elections by acquiring them party tickets and providing campaign benefits in a speech at Kunooz, his party’s headquarters, ahead of a no-confidence motion.

The prosecution said that he had attempted to bribe parliamentarians into supporting the motion to oust Maseeh.