Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) has expressed concern that some opposition leaders were released on bail on Monday.

The court has released former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, Dhiggaru MP Faris Maumoon, and Jumhooree Party (JP) leader Qasim Ibrahim.

At a sudden press conference later that evening, Ahmed Nihan, a senior lawmaker of the ruling party, said that people from poor families are still in jail while rich and powerful detainees are being released after paying bail.

He asked the opposition to give some money to the poor prisoners so that they can be released on bail as well.

“They are being held in deplorable conditions and sleeping on concrete.”

The opposition and international human rights organizations have repeatedly expressed concern that the trial and imprisonment of the recently released opposition leaders were unfair.

This administration has seen the deaths of numerous convicts, which includes Abdulla Rasheed, a man who was arrested during a large protest. His family has claimed that his unexpected death in prison was due to medical negligence from authorities.

Despite Nihan’s concern, this administration has also released many dangerous convicts nearing the presidential election.