Former Maldives Vice President jailed on terrorism conviction

Former Maldives Vice President Ahmed Adeeb on Monday was convicted of terrorism by a local court and sentenced to a 10-year jail term by a Maldivian court, media reports from Male, the capital, said.
The verdict was delivered at a court hearing closed to the public and the press, for alleged “national security reasons,” one report said
Defence lawyer Moosa Siraj has labelled the trial unfair and said he will appeal the verdict. “Adeeb expected this verdict, he was smiling when the verdict was read out,” Siraj was quoted as saying by the Maldivian Independent web newspaper.

The paper said prosecutors claimed the 34-year-old had plotted to kill or cause bodily harm during a mass protest organized by the opposition on May Day last year. Adeeb was charged under the now defunct 1990 Anti- Terrorism Act. Decisions in a second count of terrorism, two counts of graft and a count of abuse of authority against the former vice president are still pending.
The report said “the court has now wrapped up hearings on the remaining count of terrorism, relating to the September 28, 2015 explosion on President Abdulla Yameen’s speedboat, and a corruption charge over the embezzlement of US$5million from state coffers. A verdict is expected in both cases on June 7. - ENDS -