Former Minister of Defence Mohamed Nazim on Tuesday was shifted from house arrest to jail again.
Nazim is serving an 11-year jail sentence for illegal weapons possession, after a pistol and three bullets were found in his residence.
Police took the ex-minister back to jail with the help of Maldives Correctional Service (MCS), in the wake of a landmark verdict by the Supreme Court calling to free nine prominent political figures including Nazim.
Nazim’s lawyer had described the move back to jail as taking his client hostage, after the Supreme Court had ruled to free him on Thursday.
Nazim’s brother Azim stated that when MCS officers were questioned about the reason for this move, they had replied that they were implementing the decision of their superiors.
Azim had also appealed to President Abdulla Yameen to release Nazim and take action against the people behind this move.
The government of the Maldives had announced a 15-day state of emergency after a deadlock on the Supreme Court’s landmark ruling late Thursday, which ordered the release of nine political prisoners, reinstated 12 legislators that were unseated for defecting from the ruling party, and annulled the apex court’s previous ban on floor-crossing. President Abdulla Yameen had had five prominent figures arrested in a crackdown following the SOE declaration, including former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom and Chief Justice Abdulla Saeed.
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