Maldives defends jailing of Nasheed

The Maldives government yesterday told its critics to respect a controversial decision to jail the honeymoon islands' first-ever democratically-elected president for 13 years amid a growing global backlash over the verdict.

The US, European Union and regional power India have expressed concern over the jailing of Mohamed Nasheed on anti-terror charges for ordering the detention of a judge in 2012 when he was president.

President Abdulla Yameen said Nasheed had the right to appeal and urged international partners to engage with his government "constructively".

Criminal charges against Nasheed were dropped last month only to be revived a few days later under a 1990 anti-terror law on the basis that his ordering the detention of a judge amounted to terrorism.

Rights group Amnesty International said the proceedings were "deeply flawed" and called the conviction "unsound", while Nasheed urged his supporters to take to the streets to protest a trial his party has said was "blatantly politicised".

If the conviction is affirmed by higher courts, it will effectively prevent Nasheed from running for president at the 2018 elections.