Lawyers of Chief Justice Abdullah Saeed say that their client was arrested 'inhumanely'.

A statement released by the lawyers said that when the Chief Justice was arrested on February 6, 2018, by officers of Maldives National Defense Force (MNDF) and Maldives Police Service (MPS) after they had stormed Supreme Court premises illegally, they had physically assaulted the Chief Justice. Describing the arrest as ‘inhumane’, the lawyers said that Justice Saeed was detained illegally, in violation of privileges, rights and legal protection accorded to him as a Justice of the nation.

Additionally, lawyers said Justice Saeed had at the time of arrest, sentenced the officers of MNDF and MPS to 15 days in jail, on charges on contempt of court, under the powers he had as the Chief Justice.

The Chief Justice is accused of accepting bribes, changing verdicts, using influence to the oust the legally elected Government and obstruction of justice, state