The three-judge bench on Friday March 13,2015 unanimously found Nasheed guilty of ordering the arrest of a chief judge in January 2012 when he was leader of the Indian Ocean island nation.
"Nasheed is found guilty of arresting and illegally detaining judge Abdulla Mohamed," judge Abdulla Didi told the court in a verdict just before midnight. Nasheed was then taken to Dhoonidhoo prison, near the capital Male.
Nasheed's Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) said the verdict dealt a blow to the young democracy seven years after it embraced multi-party elections following three decades of rule by former strongman Maumoon Abdul Gayoom.
"Democracy jailed for 13 years on March 13, 2015," declared MDP spokeswoman Shauna Aminath. "Nothing good will come out of this. It's a sad, sad, sad day for the Maldives,"
The United States and India had voiced concern over the charges and attempts to keep him out of politics.
The controversial trial went on despite widespread criticism, with current President Abdulla Yameen denying that the move was politically motivated.
Note
Nasheed resigned as Maldives leader in February 2012 after a mutiny by police and troops that followed weeks of protests over the arrest of judge Mohamed on corruption allegations.
The judge was arrested after he released a detained opposition politician, and Nasheed's administration accused him of political bias and corruption
Nasheed has maintained that he was innocent and he was wrongfully charged. Nasheed was denied medical attention while in police custody, his party has said.
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