Former President Mohamed Nasheed will be released from his 13-year jail term before the presidential elections in 2018, said lawmaker Mohamed Musthafa.

MP Musthafa, who is connected closely to the ruling party but defected to the opposition this year, said that President Abdulla Yameen has ‘no choice’ but to free Nasheed.

“All this time, he had said that Nasheed would not be allowed to compete in the elections and that he would jailed upon his return. Now, with all the pressure built up and the threat of international sanctions will have him change his mind” Musthafa said.

Musthafa further said that there is ‘no escaping’ the decisions made by international organizations and that the Maldivian government cannot wantonly ignore them.

Nasheed had left to the United Kingdom, where he has been living in self-imposed exile after the British government granted him asylum, following the sentencing against him on terror charges.