U.K. grants refugee status to Nasheed

The former Maldives President Mohamad Nasheed, who was allowed to travel to London for medical treatment by the government of President Abdulla Yameen in January this year, has been granted refugee status by the United Kingdom.

The first democratically elected head of state of the troubled island nation, Mr. Nasheed was convicted and jailed in the Maldives in 2015 after a trial that attracted international criticism, including from the United Nations Group on Arbitrary Detention.

“President Yameen has jailed every opposition leader and cracked down on anyone who dares to oppose or criticise him. In the past year, freedom of the press, expression and assembly have all been lost. Given the slide towards authoritarianism in the Maldives, myself and other opposition politicians feel we have no choice but to work from exile — for now,” Mr. Nasheed said in a statement.

Coalition in exile

In a telephone interview with The Hindu from his residence in London, Mr. Nasheed spoke of his plans for building a coalition of Maldivian opposition forces in exile in Britain, and of pressing their case in international forums. “The advice that I have received is that it would be best to stay away from jail, and then see what can be done while being outside,” the former President said.

Asked if his refugee status would indirectly serve the purposes of the Yameen regime, Mr. Nasheed said it would not.