Ex-VP Adeeb not given adequate access to health care: MP Moosa

Jailed former vice president Ahmed Adeeb has not received adequate access to health care, says Hulhu-Henveiru constituency MP Moosa Manik.

MP Moosa, currently the deputy speaker of the People’s Majlis as well, said that Adeeb is continually being subjected to unfair treatment, and that the government should ensure that his rights are protected.

While deliberating on the report from a standing committee on allowances and benefits conferred to former senior executive staff, MP Moosa said Adeeb has not been afforded the ‘dignity’ of a vice president.

Moosa said that the ruling Maldivian Democratic Party has ‘always been an advocate for human rights’ and that Adeeb’s rights, primarily to a fair trial and access to health care, must be protected.

The former vice president, who has glaucoma, internal cysts, and kidney stones, was transferred to house arrest on March 27th.

After years of lobbying for medical leave abroad, Adeeb underwent surgery for the kidney stones in November of last year.

Former president Abdulla Yameen, who appointed him vice president, refused to allow Adeeb leave abroad, officially claiming him to be a flight-risk but denouncing him as fully responsible for various corruption allegations against the then government, when taking to the podium at political rallies.

Following surgery, Adeeb was kept in house arrest as per the recommendation of his doctor but was again moved to a detention facility for violating conditions of his release.

Shortly after being moved back to prison, he was admitted at the Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital for treatment of post-surgery complications, according to the Maldives Third Way Democrats, of which he is de facto leader.

Adeeb was arrested in October 2015 on allegations of orchestrating an attempt to assassinate former president Yameen, following an explosion on a presidential speed boat in September of that year.

He was sentenced on multiple charges, including embezzlement and weapons possession, through a trial considered by his lawyers to be marred with due process abuse. The lawyers themselves had been suspended during the trial for contempt of court.

The former vice president was among nine political prisoners who were ordered to be released by the Supreme Court ruling on February 1st, 2018. Although the ruling was overturned by a decision four days later, they have been exonerated by court order following Yameen’s defeat at the ballot box last November.

The Maldives Third Way Democrats claims Adeeb’s continued incarceration despite the remaining political prisoners being freed is further evidence of the charges against him being politically motivated.