International human rights lawyer Jared Genser has said that he always knew that former President Mohamed Nasheed’s conviction was arbritrary and in violation of international law and that it was great to finally be vindicated by the Maldives Supreme Court.

In the exclusive interview with RaajjeTV on Friday night, Jared Genser, who was part of the international team that represented Nasheed during the trial, highlighted that the United Nation’s Working Group on Arbitrary Detention and its human rights committee had already ruled that Nasheed’s conviction was unfair.

In the interview, Genser said he was excited to be back in Maldives, noting that the prior government of President Abdulla Yameen had deported and labelled him an enemy of the state.

He also said it was extraordinary to see the Supreme Court overturn Nasheed’s terror conviction, which was the exact opposite of its previous verdict regarding the case, and that it was a sign of how things have changed.

Nasheed was sentenced to 13 years in prison in March 2015, after being found guilty of ordering the ‘abduction’ of a judge during his presidency. The Supreme Court overturned the verdict on November 26.

Regarding the broader question of justice and accountability in Maldives, Genser said it is something the country will have to wrestle with, and emphasized that human rights violators should be held accountable and fair compensation should be given to the victims.