There is no room to say no to the recent United Nations (UN) Human Rights Committee’s decision to call on the Maldives government to allow former President Mohamed Nasheed to run in this year’s presidential election, says renowned lawyer Ahmed Abdulla Afeef.

He said this while speaking in a panel to discuss the UN committee’s decision on RaajjeTV’s “Fala Surukhee” programme on Wednesday night.

Responding to the government’s refusal to abide by the decision, Ahmed said that it was a refusal to provide the rights given to the Maldivian people by the Constitution and International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) to which the Maldives is party to.

He said the Maldives government can no longer refuse the UN committee’s decision, as it has already been ratified and concluded, adding that the Maldives has already agreed to abide by the decision by agreeing to the UN's protocols.

He said that the Maldivian people will have to suffer for the government’s refusal to abide by the decision.