The Huhulmale Magistrate Court, where Prosecutor General Ahmed Muizz had filed the case against Nasheed on July 15, said that it can only entertain the matter if the Chief Justice issues a resolution authorising it to do so, subsequent to the approval and agreement by the Judicial Service Commission and Judicial Council for the same.
Apart from Nasheed, criminal charges were slapped against his then Defence Minister Tholhath Ibrahim; former Chief of Defence Force Moosa Ali Jaleel, Brigadier General Ibrahim Mohamed Didi and Colonel Mohamed Ziyad.
Nasheed and Thalhath were charged with violating Article 81 of the Penal Code, which states that the detention of a government employee who has not been found guilty of a crime is illegal.
The criminal court judge, Abdulla Mohamed, was put under military detention after the then government headed by Nasheed accused him of political bias, obstructing police, stalling cases, links with organised crime and "taking the entire criminal justice system in his fist" to protect key figures of the former dictatorship from human rights and corruption cases.
Despite pressure from both international and local parties and a direct order by the Supreme Court for his immediate release, Judge Abdulla had been lodged in a military training facility at Kaafu Atoll Girifushi for 22 days.
His arrest led to widespread protests that finally resulted in the ouster of Nasheed on February 7 this year. He was replaced by his Vice President Mohamed Waheed.