‘I am not a terrorist’: Nadheem

Mohamed Nadheem, son-in-law of former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, has said that he is not a terrorist despite what the state makes him out to be.

Nadheem said this at the preliminary hearing on Sunday after the state requested that their documentary evidence and witnesses be made secret.

Nadheem said that he was being held in solitary confinement and has not been allowed meetings with his legal team, adding that unlike other suspects charged with terrorism, he is not allowed phone calls or family visits.

The state prosecutors said that these differences are due to many of the nine charged with terrorism being under the custody of the correctional service’s special protection unit. In response, Nadheem noted that they were all being charged over the same case.

Also, at the preliminary hearing, the state requested that Nadheem not be given the state’s documentary evidence and the transcripts of the other suspects’ statements given to the state.

The state also requested that the court order to temporarily make secret some case documents be made permanent and also allow the state to present any evidence they obtain in the future, since the investigation is still ongoing.

The defense asked that the court refuse the state’s requests since it would undermine a fair trial and were unconstitutional.

The defense requested that the court reject the case after claiming that the police investigation and the actions of the prosecutor general were unlawful and that any case based on their findings is invalid.

While the defense had wanted to make 26 requests, only 10 were heard at the hearing. The judge said that they will be allowed to make the other requests in the next hearing.