Jailed former defence minister, Colonel (Rtd.) Mohamed Nazim was brought to the capital city on Monday, for a doctor’s appointment.
An official from the Maldives Correctional Services (MCS) told RaajjeMV that the former defence minister was brought to Malé early Monday morning, and that he has since been transferred back to Maafushi Prison.
However, the official did not elaborate further on his appointment.
Speaking to RaajjeMV, Nazim’s wife, Afaaf Abdul Majeed said that she had learnt that her husband had been brought to Malé “through a friend”, adding that the family had not been informed of the matter. She noted that this has always been the case.
The Court found Nazim guilty of smuggling dangerous weapons and sentenced him to 11 years in jail, in March 2015. While Nazim continues to deny this, jailed former Vice President Ahmed Adeeb had, in June 2017, sent a letter to the Supreme Court, claiming that Nazim was innocent of the charges against him.
While his case was submitted to the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention (UNWGAD), the group had decreed that Nazim’s arrest, detention and trial were against legal proceedings and called on the Government of Maldives to immediately free Nazim, and to pay reparations.
He is also one of the nine political prisoners, whose release was ordered in Supreme Court’s controversial ruling, on 1st February. While incumbent President Abdulla Yameen refused to implement the ruling, authorities chose to hastily transfer the former defence minister back to Maafushi Prison; he was under house arrest at the time of the ruling.
In addition to Nazim, the Supreme Court ruling also called for the release of former President Mohamed Nasheed, Jumhooree Party leader Qasim Ibrahim, Adhaalath Party leader Sheikh Imran Abdulla, former VP Adeeb, former Prosecutor General Muhuthaz Muhsin and Dhiggaru constituency MP Ahmed Faris Maumoon.
