Commonwealth envoy meets jailed opposition lawmaker

Commonwealth Special Envoy Thursday visited jailed opposition lawmaker Ahmed Mahloof in prison.

Mahloof is serving 10 months and 24 days over two separate counts of impeding police officers.

His wife Nazra Naseem told Mihaaru Dr Willy Mutunga met the South-Galolhu MP in prison and inquired over his prison sentence.

Mahloof meanwhile has sought United Nations intervention over his controversial conviction and subsequent jailing last month.

The independent MP for South Galolhu who is also the spokesperson for the newly formed Maldives United Opposition (MOU) was first sentenced to four months and 24 days in prison after the criminal court found him guilty of of obstructing police officers during an opposition protest in April.

A week later he received a further six months for pushing police barricades and entering a restricted area during a protest in March last year.

The case was filed at the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention (UNWGAD) jointly by his spouse, lawyer and local rights group Maldivian Democracy Network (MDN).

The UN group has scheduled the case for November and Nazra said Mutunga who is on his second visit to the island nation since his appointment had gathered information related to the case.

Mihaaru understands the envoy will be in the Maldives until Friday and will reportedly fly to neighbouring Sri Lanka where he is expected to meet diplomats accredited to the Maldives.

Mutunga who retired in July as the Kenyan chief justice was appointed as the special envoy to the Maldives where he is expected to aid in the process of constitutional and political transition.

Mahloof has appealed both verdicts at the High Court which is yet to commence proceedings.

His family has continuously alleged that Mahloof was being ill treated in prison and had filed a complaint with the local human rights watchdog.

Mahloof joins the ranks of high-profile politicians and state officials jailed since March last year, which now include a former president, two former defence ministers, a ruling party MP, an opposition party leader, a former vice president, a senior military officer, a former chief prosecutor, and a magistrate.

Mahloof would not however lose his parliamentary seat as a sitting MP would only be stripped of his seat if sentenced to more than one year in prison.