Parliamentarians submit motion to free ex-President Nasheed

Parliamentarians have on Wednesday submitted a motion in parliament to facilitate the release of former president Mohamed Nasheed.

The motion acquired 49 signatures. MP Abdulla Riyaz said that the decision to file the motion was made by the Joint Opposition’s parliamentary group, of which most seats are held by Nasheed’s Maldivian Democratic Party.

While a number of experts and critics say Nasheed was sentenced unfairly, among them the United Nations Human Rights Council and Amnesty International, he lives in self-imposed exile in the United Kingdom.

Parliamentarians have also submitted a motion to remove Parliament Speaker Abdulla Maseeh from office. The no-confidence motion against Maseeh was submitted with 51 signatures.