Suffering from lower body numbness since arrest, can barely walk : Justice Hameed

Detained Supreme Court Justice Ali Hameed, in his court hearing this morning, expressed that he is experiencing numbness in his lower body due to hich walking has become a difficult task for him.

A preliminary hearing was held on the terrorism charges raised against him this morning, in which the Justice said that he has been experiencing numbness below his hips eversince he had fallen down the staircase of the Supreme Court building during the time of his arrest in the late hours of 05th February upon the declaration of the state of emergency. Hameed said that he cannot balance himself while walking, due to the intensity of the pain below his hips.

Upon his statement, the state attorney refuted this and claimed that there is CCTV video footage of the night Justice Hameed was arrested from the Supreme Court building, which showed no such thing.

The lawyer further said that the video footage can be presented to court if called for, albeit presiding Judge Ahmed Hailam, not requesting for the video to be presented in court.

According to Hameed, he has a history of heart conditions and escalating blood pressure. Up till date the Maldives Correctional Service (MCS) has not paved way for him to seek the required medical treatment.

Hailam had highlighted that Ali Hameed receives special benefits in confinement unlike ordinary detainees, adding that a nurse must be brought in to check his medical condition every single day in confinement. Hailam appealed to the state attorney to make sure these demands are met accordingly and report to the court in the next hearing.