Hearing on ex-President Maumoon, jailed justices scheduled for Tuesday

Former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, Supreme Court Chief Justice Abdulla Saeed, and Justice Ali Hameed will be summoned to the Criminal Court for a hearing on Tuesday.

The three will be summoned at 1pm for the second preliminary hearing on charges regarding the obstruction of state duties.

The first preliminary hearing was held on April 10 in which the presiding judge gave them 10 days to assign lawyers. The second hearing was earlier scheduled for Monday but was later cancelled for undisclosed reasons after the three arrived in court.

The court has begun hearings on bribery charges against the Chief Justice Saeed and Hameed, while the terrorism charges against the three for an alleged attempt to overthrow the government is yet to begin.

The three were arrested on the night President Abdulla Yameen declared a state of emergency on February 5. Maumoon was arrested at his home while Chief Justice Saeed and Justice Hameed were arrested at the courthouse after police officers broke in through the roof.

President Yameen declared the state of emergency after refusing to implement the Supreme Court order on February 1 to release nine political prisoners and reinstate 12 opposition MPs

Former President Maumoon, Chief Justice Saeed, and Justice Hameed have been remanded for the rest of their terrorism trial.