Malé City Mayor Dr. Mohamed Muizzu, who was arrested at an opposition rally on Tuesday night, has been released this morning.
Muizzu and the four others who were detained last night have now been released, Maldives Police Service confirmed.
The police did not clarify why Malé City’s Mayor was arrested.
Following the arrest, Malé City Council issued a statement condemning his arrest and claiming that it violated his fundamental rights guaranteed by the Constitution. The statement further claimed that the arrest was made to silence Dr Muizzu and called for his immediate release.
The Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) and the People's National Congress (PNC) coalition have held rallies every night since Yameen was sentenced to prison. Leaders of the coalition and supporters of the former President gather in Malé to advocate for his release.
The police detain a few people every night at these rallies; however, they are almost always immediately released.
Yameen is currently serving an 11-year prison sentence on bribery and money laundering charges. He was also ordered to pay a fine of USD 5 million. He was found guilty on December 25, 2022, of accepting bribes and money laundering through the lease transaction of Vaavu atoll, Aarah.
Yameen is currently not eligible to run in the upcoming presidential election as a result of the lengthy prison sentence. The opposition maintains that Yameen was sentenced to prevent him from running in the presidential election this year.
The former President has similar charges levied against him for the lease of Raa atoll, Fuggiri. He is being charged for accepting USD 1.1 million in bribes for the lease of the island and laundering the money obtained from the transaction. The case is currently on-going.
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