Expressing deep concern over former Maldivian President Mohammad Nasheed's imprisonment, the UN today said the move was a "serious setback" to the human rights situation in the country.
The High Commissioner for Human Rights expressed his deep concern to the Maldivian government after Nasheed was again sent to prison on Sunday night, a month after the former president's 13-year prison term was commuted to house arrest.
"We had been encouraged by the (Maldivian) government's earlier decision to move Nasheed to house arrest after widespread national and international criticism of the clearly flawed trial which resulted in him being sentenced to 13 years in jail in March this year," OHCHR spokesperson Rupert Colville said.
Nasheed was suddenly transferred to the high-security prison on Maafushi Island on Sunday.
"We also understand that force, including pepper spray, was used against his supporters who gathered in the narrow alley around his residence to show their solidarity and protest against his renewed imprisonment," Colville said.
The Office of the High Commissioner has conducted two missions to the Maldives in recent months to discuss these issues with the authorities, visiting Nasheed both in jail and while he was under house arrest at his residence, Colville said in a statement.
"(His) return...To prison in our view constitutes a serious setback to the human rights situation as well as to moves towards finding a political solution in the Maldives."
Urging the government to consider Nasheed's early release, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein called for the review of pending criminal cases against several hundred opposition supporters in relation to the protests in recent months.
