If Nasheed’s trial is to withdrawn than all prisoners should be freed- Abbas

Gaumee Ittihaad Party (GIP)’s spokesperson Abbas Adil Riza has said that all prisoners should be freed if the trial against the former President is withdrawn or delayed to a date he wants.

Speaking to Miadhu Daily, Abbas said that all those who perpetrate crimes should be prosecuted and no one is given any privileges in this. He said that is against the values of Islam and democracy to be unjust and inequitable.

Abbas said that no one should be allowed to violate the values of Islam and democracy. He said that the people will never accept this. He said that if Nasheed’s trial is to be postponed as he so desires than this is an injustice to all criminals and prisoners and all charged with crime.

Abbas reiterated that no one is above the law and not even a president who violates the law will be allowed to be free from being prosecuted.

Meanwhile, former President  Nasheed last week requested that his trial for the arbitrary arrest of Judge Abdulla be moved back to 2018, allowing him to contest the 2013 elections. His argument was that he would be elected if allowed to contest, and that there is not enough time to complete the trial in the criminal case brought against him by the independent Prosecutor General Muizzu.

Nasheed says his trial will take longer than the remaining months till the elections, and requests that, since as newly elected President in Nov 2013, he cannot be tried for 5 years, to postpone his trial till 2018.