False claims made against Maldives ex-president "to encourage bloodshed"

Parliament is seeking action against lies being spread about Speaker and former President, Mohamed Nasheed.

In a statement released on Sunday, the People’s Majlis said that the speaker has decided to seek a police investigation into the false accusations made against him by a Jeeza Ali Ibrahim during an interview to a local news outlet under Article 10 of the Criminal Procedure Act.

While he is also seeking action against the news outlet, the case is to be forwarded to the Prosecutor General’s (PG) Office as well.

The former president has been accused of making derogatory remarks against Prophet Mohammed (PBUH).

Noting that “attempting to disrupt the religious unity of citizens of Maldives, and conversing and acting in a manner likely to cause religious segregation among people” is an offence as per Article 617 (5) of the Penal Code, the statement stressed that Jeeza Ali Ibrahim’s remarks against Nasheed is such an offence.

It added that the purpose of such remarks are made to encourage violence against the speaker including bloodshed.

Nasheed’s Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) has condemned the lies against its leader as well, and called for a thorough investigation into the matter. It also stressed that the purpose of this is to instigate physical attacks against the former president.

Nasheed was the fourth president of the Maldives, and the first democratically elected leader of the country. While he won the 2008 presidential elections against former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom -who ruled the nation for 30 years- but resigned in 2012 following a coup.

The former president has received a number of death threats prior to the resignation and since.