The next hearing in the pre-trial proceedings of obstruction charges against 12 local lawmakers have been scheduled for Tuesday.
The hearing is scheduled for 10am. The last hearing in the case was held December 5th. The lawmakers are being represented by prominent lawyer Hisaan Hussain and lawyer Noorusalaam Abubakur.
All of them are facing charges of obstructing law enforcement, in having entered the parliamentary premises while it was military lockdown, which was unannounced.
The parliamentarians have maintained that they are innocent of any criminal wrongdoing and that they were allowed into the premises by police officers that recognized their status as ‘elected members of parliament’.
Military officers, who were stationed inside the parliamentary premises with a stock of riot gear, had removed lawmakers that entered the premises. A sitting had been scheduled for that day, and a motion of no-confidence against parliament speaker Abdulla Maseeh was to be voted on.
Among the 12 lawmakers charged with obstruction, are also Vilingilli constituency MP Saud Hussain, Thulusdhoo constieuncy MP Ibrahim Waheed, and Maduvvari constituency MP Mohamed Ameeth – who are facing charges of trespass for having entered the parliamentary premises.
