annietrial
Nasheed’s trial: A quick opportunity to make amends
Ismail Rifau, Political Correspondent
Male’, Maldives, 25th January 2006 (olhuala.com) – The trial of Mohamed Nasheed (Annie) which begins this morning provides an early opportunity for Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) members to make their presence felt after yesterday’s farcical demonstration attempts.
Annie’s pre-trial hearings witnessed scenes of MDP activists attacking Police, with streets jammed and traffic blocked. Moreover, Annie himself uses the opportunity to play to the gallery – his antics, which include playing dead to induce police to act to prevent him falling to the floor – which provides photo opportunities.
Yesterday’s failed demonstration is thought to have been an attempt to save Annie from going to trial. Annie is said to be furious about ‘Ibra’s incompetence’ which Annie sees as the root cause of the failure.
Annie is facing trial for sedition and crimes against the Maldivian people. The charges arise from his activities of the 12th of August 2005 and the days leading up to it. The crimes he is accused of include incitement to violence, calling for the violent overthrow of the constitutionally elected government and other militant activities including providing assistance for making weapons.
The Attorney General is said to have built up a foolproof case with much unexpected evidence to be presented. The case has taken so long to come to trial because of the extra time the defence requested for, in order to review ‘new’ evidence. Most of that evidence, it is thought, constituted activities the client had withheld from his own defence team.
In an unexpected turn of events, Annie’s defence attorney Mr Muizz has been sacked immediately after Muizz provided his legal opinion stating the unlawfulness of the MDP’s planned protests in an interview with Haveeru daily.
Click to read full story
Ismail Rifau, Political Correspondent
Male’, Maldives, 25th January 2006 (olhuala.com) – The trial of Mohamed Nasheed (Annie) which begins this morning provides an early opportunity for Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) members to make their presence felt after yesterday’s farcical demonstration attempts.
Annie’s pre-trial hearings witnessed scenes of MDP activists attacking Police, with streets jammed and traffic blocked. Moreover, Annie himself uses the opportunity to play to the gallery – his antics, which include playing dead to induce police to act to prevent him falling to the floor – which provides photo opportunities.
Yesterday’s failed demonstration is thought to have been an attempt to save Annie from going to trial. Annie is said to be furious about ‘Ibra’s incompetence’ which Annie sees as the root cause of the failure.
Annie is facing trial for sedition and crimes against the Maldivian people. The charges arise from his activities of the 12th of August 2005 and the days leading up to it. The crimes he is accused of include incitement to violence, calling for the violent overthrow of the constitutionally elected government and other militant activities including providing assistance for making weapons.
The Attorney General is said to have built up a foolproof case with much unexpected evidence to be presented. The case has taken so long to come to trial because of the extra time the defence requested for, in order to review ‘new’ evidence. Most of that evidence, it is thought, constituted activities the client had withheld from his own defence team.
In an unexpected turn of events, Annie’s defence attorney Mr Muizz has been sacked immediately after Muizz provided his legal opinion stating the unlawfulness of the MDP’s planned protests in an interview with Haveeru daily.
Click to read full story