Dhangethi MP Ilham Ahmed has said that he would have been issued a 19-year prison sentence if Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, the opposition coalition’s presidential candidate, had not won the election.

Speaking to the press outside the Criminal Court after his release on Monday night, the opposition-aligned MP said he hopes that authorities will now abide by the constitution.

MP Ilham said he was forced to come out with the opposition with the other lawmakers due to government oppression, and that although he went abroad afterwards, he had returned to the country ready to be thrown in jail, since he and MP Sinan were warned that they would be imprisoned. He said they stepped out of the plane without their phones since they knew it would be confiscated.

Ilham also expressed his belief that some people have to come out against oppression at the risk of being jailed, adding that while it was not easy for him to be behind bars for eight months, he had done for the sake of the people.

Ilham was arrested following the Supreme Court order on February 1 and was charged with attempting overthrow the government.