Central-Maafannu constituency councilor Azra Moosa has been given 10 days to appoint a lawyer.
While she is charged with obstruction, the first preliminary hearing in the case was held on Monday. At the hearing held sans a legal representative, Azra told the court that she wished to move forward with one.
Hence the Criminal Court decided to grant her a period of 10 days to appoint an attorney.
She is charged under Section 532 of the Penal Code, which is ‘Resisting or Obstructing a Law Enforcement Officer or Custodial Officer’. Section 532 (a) states that ‘a person commits a crime if he/she knowingly resists, obstructs or interferes with the performance of an authorized act within the official capacity of a person’.
Azra was arrested from an opposition demonstration on 27th February.
Opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) has called for her immediate release, and to drop the charges against her.
In a statement issued in April, MDP said that the charges against the Malé City councilor is ‘politically motivated’. Further noting that the police has used excessive force to disperse the crowd gathered on the day of her arrest, MDP called on the prosecutor general to reassess the case.
