Mohamed Nasheed, the first democratically elected leader of the Maldives, has been sentenced to 13 years in prison after being found guilty of terrorism.

The verdict is likely to worsen the acute political instability in the popular luxury tourist destination and appears likely to provoke street violence.

Nasheed, a respected human rights and environment campaigner, was elected president in the Maldives’ first free polls after the end of 30-year autocratic rule of Maumoon Abdul Gayoom in 2008.

The former president’s alleged offence – the detention of a judge – dates back to shortly before he was ousted in what supporters say was a coup in 2012.

“The prosecution’s evidence proved beyond reasonable doubt that Nasheed ordered the chief judge’s arrest or forceful abduction and detention,” the judge, Abdulla Didi, said in the court in the capital, Malé.

Nasheed smiled when the verdict was read out and shook hands with three family members when he was escorted from the courtroom.

In a statement released by his office, the 47-year-old called on the people of the Maldives to “to confront the dictatorial power of this regime” and “to take all of your lives in your hands and to go out on to the streets”.

“Do not consider either the security of your personal lives or the transitory happiness of your wives, husbands, children, parents and relatives; for the security of all of your children and their children is in jeopardy,” he said.

The three-judge bench’s verdict was unanimous and the office of the president, Abdulla Yameen, who has denied that the prosecution of his chief rival for power was political, confirmed the 13-year sentence.

In February police dragged Nasheed into court despite his protests that he would go willingly on his own.

Police drag a protesting Mohamed Nasheed into court. Guardian

Yameen is the half-brother of the former ruler Gayoom. The political struggle in the island nation sets Nasheed, who has favoured a pro-western foreign policy and launched efforts to counter growing local Islamic conservatism, against more rightwing elements, many close to the former regime.

These have frequently sought to portray Nasheed as a threat to “traditional Islamic values” in the Maldives while favouring China in their foreign policy and the business community economically.

Countries including India and the United States have expressed concern about Nasheed’s treatment and trial.

“We are deeply concerned over the developments in the Maldives. We are monitoring the situation there,” said a spokesman for the India’s Ministry of External Affairs on Saturday.

Amnesty International, the human rights group, said the conviction was politically motivated.

Tension had been rising again as the verdict approached and hundreds of Nasheed’s supporters, some waving “Free Nasheed” posters, had gathered outside the court on Friday night and police said they had briefly detained 13 men.

In an interview with the Guardian in Malé last month, Nasheed called for the international community to consider sanctions against the island nation “as a last resort” and called on tourists to learn more about the Maldives before they decide to visit.

“It is good and necessary to have a relaxing holiday but important [they] understand what is happening here too,” he said, speaking at the headquarters of the Maldivian Democratic party.

More than a million tourists visited the tropical island destination last year, many from the west. Few see much of the country beyond their resorts and are unaware of its deep social, political and economic problems.

The arrest of the judge in 2012 triggered the crisis in which Nasheed has said he was forced to resign at gunpoint.

Yameen then became president in November 2013 in an election whose second-round runoff was cancelled when early results put Nasheed ahead. When the second round was re-run, Nasheed lost by a narrow margin and conceded defeat.

The prosecutor-general last month withdrew criminal charges that had been brought against Nasheed over the judge’s arrest, only to issue an arrest warrant shortly afterwards on new charges of terrorism relating to the same incident, bringing thousands out on to the streets in protest.

Yameen’s supporters held numerous rallies in Malé last week calling for a swift sentence against Nasheed.

The opposition leader’s supporters have been protesting daily since his arrest, sometimes at sea near the island where he was imprisoned. On Friday night they staged a sit-in near the court building, but were pepper sprayed and dispersed. The mood in Malé remains somber.

Ali Waheed, chairman of the opposition Maldivian Democratic party, said: “We will free President Nasheed. This is atrocious sentence. An unjust 13 years. We will not forget this brutality. This is a time of profound pain, but we remain determined.”

Home minister Umar Naseer has said he has ordered the police to keep the former president at the remand centre, until a special cell is constructed at the Maafushi Jail.

Ibrahim Muaz Ali, a spokesman for the government, told the Guardian: “The charges are not politically motivated ... We have a system of separation of powers. In a democracy, the head of state does not interfere in judicial proceedings, and is not to blame for court proceedings.”

“President Yameen does not want to jail opposition politicians and plunge the country into unrest. He has an economic agenda. However, we will respect and enforce court verdicts.”

Ali denied any irregularities in the legal process and said Nasheed could still appeal the verdict at the high court.

“However, we will not allow civil unrest. Our aim is to establish peace and order,” he said.

The political turmoil comes amid worry about increasing Islamist militancy in the country. Between 70 and 200 inhabitants of the 1,200 island archipelago have travelled to Syria to join Islamic State or other militant groups there.



Amnesty International has raised the case of Ahmed Rilwan Abdulla, a well-known journalist who disappeared last year. Relatives of the disappeared man accuse police of being “either negligent or complicit in the abduction”.

Several of those suspected of involvement in his abduction have been linked to extremist networks.

A report released by Amnesty last month said the government had been “effectively undermining human rights protection by failing to strengthen the independent institutions of the state”.

The campaign group alleged systematic impunity for human rights violations, especially for torture and other ill-treatment, and for excessive use of force by police against demonstrators.

Transparency Maldives, a local NGO, issued a statement noting “with grave concern” the sentencing of Nasheed “despite a number of irregularities in the legal process”.

The NGO said that Nasheed was “denied legal representation, denied right to appeal, his legal team denied adequate time to build a defence against the new charges of terrorism”.

Tourism is the biggest industry for the country of 350,000 and has been boosted in recent years by growing numbers of Chinese holidaymakers. Most resorts are situated on uninhabited islands exempt from strict laws prohibiting alcohol in the Muslim state.