The High Court of the Maldives has on Thursday nullified the prison conviction issued on former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom.

Gayoom had made appeals at the High Court after the Criminal Court slapped a one year, seven month and six day prison sentence on him after having found him guilty of obstruction of justice in July.

High Court had on Thursday nullified the conviction after finding that it was issued by the Criminal Court against the Criminal Procedure Act.

The Presiding Judge at the High Court had highlighted that the state had confessed at the court that the conviction was carried out against the Criminal Procedure Act. State had also confessed that Gayoom was not given appropriate time to appoint lawyers in the trial.

Gayoom was arrested on February 5 immediately after the declaration of a state of emergency, charges were slapped against him for refusing to handover his mobile phone to the officers that had arrested him. Arrested alongside him were former Supreme Court Chief Justice Abdulla Saeed and Justice Ali Hameed.

In late September, Gayoom was released on bail until the High Court concludes the investigation into his appeal. Released on bail alongside him were son Faris Maumoon and political leader Qasim Ibrahim.

He was released after paying a bond of MVR 60,000.

The state also pressed terrorism charges against the 80-year-old, who has been diagnosed with benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) which has led to his ailing health since incarceration.