He has gone from president to prospective prisoner in the space of a few days. At home in the Maldives, ex-leader Mohamed Nasheed says he expects to be arrested at any moment by plotters who ousted him in a coup. “The new Home Minister has pledged that I will be the first former president to spend all my life in jail, so I think he’s working on his delivery of his pledge,” he told reporters. “I hope the international community will take note of what is happening in the Maldives, and if they can’t do something right now, it certainly will be late tomorrow.”
As supporters massed outside, the newly sworn in Interior Minister acccused Nasheed loyalists of attacking public buildings. “You cannot justify that you can destroy a small country like ours,” said Mohamed Jameel, venting his fury at a news conference. “Destruction of police stations, vehicles, properties, court buildings. A country like ours has taken years to build this infrastructure and it is public property.”
Clashes have erupted over the removal of Nasheed, the Maldives’ first democratically-elected president. The charges against him are unclear. Reports say his successor has vowed only to implement the arrest warrant if it becomes necessary for Nasheed’s personal safety.
Source: Maldives’ ousted president awaits arrest | euronews, world news.
