The High Court of the Republic of Maldives, the country’s second highest court, has overturned the conviction of former President Abdulla Yameen, thereby cancelling his 11-year prison sentence. The decision was announced on Thursday, with the court ruling that the 2022 Criminal Court trial, which had initially found Yameen guilty on charges of money laundering and bribery, was unfair and fraught with procedural irregularities.
As part of the judgment, the high court ordered the release of Yameen from his house arrest, where he had been confined since October 2023. A new trial has been ordered to re-examine the charges against him, although a date for this has yet to be announced.
The court’s decision also had implications for another individual involved in the case, known as Naeem. Naeem had allegedly paid Yameen $1 million to lease an islet for tourism development, and following the court’s judgment, was freed from custody.
Interestingly, the court’s judgment was delivered just days ahead of the Maldivian parliamentary elections. Yameen, who started a political party known as the People’s National Front whilst serving his sentence, has fielded candidates for the elections. Yameen, along with his ally, President Mohamed Muizzu, are seen as pro-China in a political landscape that is polarised with their rivals in the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) being seen as pro-India and pro-Western.
The unfolding legal drama is further complicated by brewing geopolitical tensions, with Muizzu recently requesting the withdrawal of Indian military personnel from the Maldivian islands, thus straining relations between the two countries. Reports suggest that India has begun withdrawing troops.
Yameen’s legal travails began in 2019 when he was first arrested during the tenure of then-President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih of MDP. He was later transferred from prison to house arrest after President Muizzu took over in 2023. With the latest high court ruling overturning the prior conviction, Yameen’s legal and political future in the island nation appears to be at a notable inflection point.
For additional details on the story, please refer to the original article published on Jurist – News.