Following a meeting with senior officials of the European External Action Service (EEAS), former President Mohamed Nasheed has reiterated that ‘there is a sanctions list’ which will be ‘populated’ if institutions are not allowed to function independently.

Nasheed, via twitter on Monday, announced that he met with EEAS officials to brief them on the current situation in the Maldives. A photo attached to the tweet shows him with EU Ambassador to Maldives Tung-Lai Margue and EEAS’ Deputy Managing Director for Asia Department, Paola Pampaloni.

“Understand there is a sanctions list and it will be populated if the parliament is not allowed to sit with all its MPs and hold the EC accountable,’ added the former president.

European Union had, in July, adopted a framework to impose targeted sanctions on human rights abusers in the Maldives. While there have been no official updates since then, reports indicate that the sanction list might consist of 41 individuals. However, the Maldivian government denies that there is such a list.

Last month, Brussels-based think tank South Asia Democratic Forum (SADF), along with Women's Economic and Social Think Tank (WESTT) conducted an independent fact-finding mission in Maldives.

While its delegation consisted of three members of the European Parliament- Omas Zdechovsky, Maria Gabriela Zoana and Ryszard Czarnecki, along with two European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) Members, Madi Sharma and Henri Malosse- the report said that "there is mounting evidence that the election process is already being manipulated".

Further noting that President Yameen ‘will use all possible means, including force, manipulation, and fraud, to remain in power. He is confident due to his vast financial resources and support from the business class, the police, and military, judges, and Islamic clerics,’ the report highlighted that ‘a number of electoral laws were amended by the government, with only 34 out of the 85 Members of Parliament voting for the passing of the amendments, making it unconstitutional’.

Making recommendations to the international community pressing for a free and fair election, the European think tank said that the EU should announce a ban on investments and tourism ‘should the federal elections prove to be fraudulent’.