AC, TV, garden: Perks former Maldives president will enjoy in prison

Former Maldives president Mohammed Nasheed, sentenced to 13 years in jail under anti-terrorism laws, will have a furnished air-conditioned prison apartment complete with a TV and garden, a senior Maldivian minister said on Monday.

Nasheed, 47, was last week sentenced to 13 years in jail over the alleged abduction and imprisonment of a former chief justice while he was president.

“MNasheed’s 264 sq ft prison apartment: 1 room, sitting room, furnished, AC, TV, VCD player. Garden 1087 sq ft. Live with other inmate-friends,” Minister of Home Affairs Umar Naseer tweeted.

MUST READ: 'By getting rid of Nasheed, religious conservatives want to control Maldives'

Naseer, in another tweet on Sunday, had said that the government will guarantee the safety and welfare of the former president while he is in prison.

“The govt guarantees the safety, welfare and protection of former Prez Nasheed while in state custody. He’ll be treated with respect and dignity,” he tweeted.

Nasheed will remain in police custody in Dhoonidhoo until the apartment in Maafushi Prison is completed, media reports said.

Nasheed’s Maldivian Democratic Party has decided to launch a national civil disobedience campaign to free their imprisoned leader.

India, the US and the European Union have all expressed concern over Nasheed’s imprisonment and conviction.

Nasheed, on Sunday, suffered another blow when the former Maldivian president’s appeal against his arrest order was dismissed by a court.