New Delhi: A day after India voiced its concerns about the jail term to former Maldivian President and the Supreme Court chief Justice, the island nation said all proceedings were being followed as per law.
In a statement issued late on Thursday night, the Maldivian foreign ministry said the sentencing of former President Abdul Gayoom and Chief Justice Abdulla Saeed were “as per national laws, regulations and procedures governing the criminal justice system in the Maldives”.
In a statement earlier on Thursday, the ministry of external affairs (MEA) said the government of Maldives had given long prison terms to Gayoom and Saeed, which cast doubt “on the commitment of the government of the Maldives to uphold the rule of law and will also call into question the credibility of the entire process of presidential elections in September this year”.
In its statement, Maldives “reiterated its commitment to upholding the rule of law and reassured that all criminal proceedings are in compliance with its Constitution”.
In March earlier this year, a day before lifting the Emergency, the Maldivian government under President Yameen charged Gayoom with terrorism.
Along with Gayoom, senior judges and police officials have also been charged for ‘attempting to orchestrate an act of terrorism’.
India has repeatedly voiced its concern over the state of governance in Maldives and ties have hit an all-time low.
Maldives has asked India to take back two of the copters it was gifted a few years ago.
Recently, a top Maldivian parliamentarian was denied entry into India for which the Indian envoy in Maldives was summoned. The parliamentarian, Ahmed Nihan, had termed India’s actions as “bullying”.
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