Jailed opposition-aligned lawmaker Ilham remains steadfast in reform efforts: Lawyers

Jailed Member of Parliament for Dhangethi constituency, Ilham Ahmed remains steadfast and resilient behind bars and does not plan to take a step back in the opposition's reform efforts, says his legal representatives.

A press release issued by the lawmaker’s legal representatives stated that it has been six months since Ilham has been in prison and that he is not being held in incarceration for the charges raised against him.

The statement reads that the lawmaker was charged with terrorism a month after his arrest, and that he was kept in confinement without any allegations for a long time. During that time period, he was questioned about the bribery case that surfaced in May 2017.

However, the lawyer wrote that terrorism allegations had been raised on the lawmaker afterward, with the state having presented 32 pieces of evidence against him in court.

The statement also highlighted that while section 140 of the criminal procedure act stated that the trial of the accused must begin within 70 days after documents in the case are submitted, Ilham’s trial is yet to begin although it has been 135 days since the documents of the case were submitted.

The MP is accused of conspiring to overthrow the current government by colluding with other members of parliament and is to be remanded for the rest of his trial. Ilham’s arrest comes after he turned himself in to authorities after the Maldives Police Service (MPS) issued a search for him in early February during the State of Emergency declared by President Yameen.

Prosecutors have since accused the lawmaker of accepting bribes and having been part of the conspiracy, which they say was led by opposition MP Faris Maumoon.

MP Ilham had requested that the terror charges be dropped due to lack of evidence. However, denying Ilham's appeal, the court has decided to move forward with the case.