The Maldives Supreme Court on November 26 has canceled former President Mohamed Nasheed’s 13-year jail sentence and terrorism conviction.
The top Court said that Nasheed had been “wrongfully charged” and that he should not have been convicted in the 2015 trial.
The apex court further said that Nasheed’s conviction is “politically motivated” and the criminal court should not have proceeded to trial.
Following the judgment, Mr. Nasheed reportedly said it made evident that he was put on trial “by the influence of” former President Abdulla Yameen. “It is clear that my political career is not over,” he further added.
Former President Nasheed pulled out of the presidential race earlier this year after the Election Commission barred him from contesting, citing his controversial 2015 conviction for detaining Maldives Criminal Court chief judge Abdulla Ghazee during his presidential term in 2012.
