Male concerned about Nasheed asylum in UK

The government of the Maldives has expressed concern about former President Mohamad Nasheed “seeking political asylum” in the United Kingdom.

The Foreign Affairs Ministry of the Maldives said Mr. Nasheed was “granted medical leave exceptionally” by the appropriate authorities in the Maldives after which he was expected to return to serve the remainder of his 13-year-long sentence, which was imposed following conviction in a case concerning alleged abduction of a Criminal Court judge.

The extension of Mr. Nasheed’s leave expired on May 19, 2016.

Male said the leave was given for a specified period of time to seek medical treatment that, as suggested by his legal team, was not available in the country. “This latest development clearly demonstrates that the intention was to seek to avoid serving his prison sentence, and thus again, the former President has once again exhibited a distinct lack of commitment to the legal process and continues to manipulate the process for political gain, believing that he remains above the law.”

The government of the Maldives also expressed disappointment over the U.K. government “allowing itself to be part of this charade and enabling an individual to circumvent his obligations under the law”.