Maldives Police Service on Saturday warned political entities and media outlets that action will be taken over the promotion of convicts.
The warning comes in the middle of the opposition coalition's campaign activities for their presidential candidate Ibrahim "Ibu" Mohamed Solih, in which posters of other opposition leaders are used as well: former presidents Maumoon Abdul Gayoom and Mohamed Nasheed, Jumhoory Party's founder Qasim Ibrahim, and Adhaalath Party's leader Sheikh Imran Abdulla, all of whom are serving prison sentences.
In a notice issued Saturday, the police stated that promoting anyone that has been convicted of a criminal offence, violates the law of Maldives. The police called on the media and political parties to refrain from spreading information of convicts, or publishing their photographs.
The police warned that legal action will be taken against any entities that continued to do so.
The four leaders of the opposition alliance are all convicted of various offences. Nasheed is residing in the United Kingdom under political asylum after he was sentenced to 13 years on terrorism charges over the arbitrary detention of a judge during his regime. Gayoom, who was arrested under accusation of bribing judges, is serving a year in jail for obstructing justice after he refused to hand over his mobile phone to the police for investigation. Qasim is sentenced to three years on bribery charges over bribing lawmakers to garner support to impeach the parliament speaker. Sheikh Imran is serving 12 years after he was found guilty of inciting violence during a major opposition rally in 2015.
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