The Alliance of Conservatives & Reformists in Europe (ACRE) has called for the immediate release of former President of Maldives, Abdulla Yameen, and for the upcoming parliamentary election to be free and fair.

In a press statement on Tuesday, ACRE claims that Yameen, the leader of main opposition Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM), has had his freedoms curbed ahead of the upcoming elections.

“Testament to President Abdulla Yameen, and the PPM’s support for democracy, after he lost his Presidential re-election bid in September 2018, he handed over power peacefully to his successor without delay – becoming the first President in the Maldives to have ever done so. Since then, Yameen and the Party he leads, have been campaigning for the Parliamentary elections due in April.”

In the statement, ACRE stated that the European Party of the British Conservatives, Poland’s Law & Justice Party and 40 other national parties, many of which sit in government, express growing concerns over this “blatant politically motivated” act.

It also noted that his arrest will limit the ability of PPM to submit a full electoral list and campaign equally just a few weeks ahead of the election.

ACRE concluded by urging the European Union to "investigate this democratic transgression, for it to send European Election Monitors urgently to Male’, and on the new Government of Maldives to respect the nation’s young democracy and allow a free and fair election to take place.”