The government coalition’s Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) has requested that the terrorism charges raised against a group of 70 protestors in 2012 be reviewed.

MDP said this in a statement on Thursday, which says that they have asked the charges to be reviewed as per a directive from the Attorney General’s Office in December, 2018. 

The directive is that a lighter charge must be put forth for offences that have more than a single legal conclusion.

The 70 individuals were demonstrators during nation-wide unrest after former president Mohamed Nasheed’s resignation under duress in February, 2012.

The demonstrators had been suppressed by officers of the Maldives National Defence Force, arrested by the police, and subsequently charged with terrorism.