Britain declines comment on Nasheed’s application for political asylum

COLOMBO ( The Island / ANN ) – An application for political asylum in the United Kingdom, reportedly made by former Maldivian President Mohammed Nasheed who is currently in London on “ medical leave”  remains clouded, with no clear official  statement as yet.    

 

While the Maldives has expressed concern over reports that the country’s former President Mohammed Nasheed had sought political asylum in the United Kingdom, where he was on medical leave from jail, Britain yesterday declined to comment on the issue.

A spokesperson for the British High Commission in Colombo,when asked if Nasheed who was serving a 13-year jail term for ordering the abduction of a judge while in power in January 2012, had been granted political asylum in the UK, replied "We do not comment on individual asylum cases."

The British response comes amidst the Ex-Presidents office claiming that Nasheed has refugee status in the UK.

The Maldivian Foreign Ministry said yesterday that it was concerned about reports that Nasheed had sought political asylum in the UK, “while currently in London on medical leave from a 13-year prison sentence imposed in March 2015, for having ordered the abduction of Chief Criminal Court judge Abdullah Mohammed.”

The former President, it noted was granted medical leave exceptionally by the appropriate authorities, after which he was expected to return to Maldives to serve the remainder of his sentence.

The Foreign Ministry said that Nasheed was granted exceptional leave for a specified period of time so as to seek medical treatment that, as suggested by his legal team, was not available in the Maldives. "This latest development clearly demonstrates that the intention was to avoid serving his prison sentence.Thus again the Ex-President has 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."

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  • Britain declines comment on Nasheed’s application for political asylum

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