Thousands gather in Malé to welcome ex-President Nasheed

Thousands gathered in capital Malé City on Thursday, to welcome former President Mohamed Nasheed back home.

Nasheed had been living in a self-imposed exile since January 2016, during a medical trip to Britain in January 2016 where he was granted political asylum for a second time; he was in exile under British protection from September 2003 to April 2005.

Nasheed landed in Velana International Airport at around 2:30pm, and was accompanied by President-elect Ibrahim Mohamed Solih. Wife Laila Ali traveled with them as well.

The former president showed respect to the president-elect upon arrival, with Solih seen exiting the flight before Nasheed. Both Nasheed and Solih have been close friends since childhood.

They arrived in the capital at around 3:30pm via a launch, with a number of vessels traveling alongside.

They reached Artificial Beach one and a half hours later, where Nasheed gave a public address for the first time since 2015.

Former President Mohamed Nasheed makes first public address since 2015. Photo: RaajjeMV

Arrested in February 2015, he was sentenced in a rushed and widely criticized trial on 13th March 2018, to 13 years on terror charges.

Speaking there, Nasheed credited the Maldivian people for the progress in their work against President Abdulla Yameen’s autocratic rule, saying that the Maldivian people “shocked the entire world” on 23rd September.

89.4 percent of those eligible came out and voted that day, with 58.4 percent voting for Nasheed’s Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP)’s candidate Solih, who was backed by all four opposition leaders, beating sitting President Abdulla Yameen.

(L to R): JP leader Qasim, President-elect Solih, AP leader Imran, ex-President Nasheed and wife Laila Ali. Photo: RaajjeMV

Jumhooree Party leader Qasim Ibrahim welcomed Nasheed at the airport, while Adhaalath Party leader Imran Abdulla joined them later; Supreme Court suspended Imran’s 12-year jail sentence earlier in the day. Former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom was absent as he is currently in Malaysia for medical purposes.

The Joint Opposition is to continue celebratory events later in the night as well.