Supreme Court of Maldives has nullified the 10-year jail sentence of Criminal Court on former Minister of Defence Tholhath Ibrahim Kaleyfaanu.
In its verdict, the Supreme Court ruled the former defence minister was jailed illegally, while noting he and former President Mohamed Nasheed were sentenced on similar charges. Recently, the former president was released from his 13-year jail sentence after the Supreme Court declared he was sentenced in defiance of the laws and regulations of Maldives.
Tholhath Ibrahim Kaleyfaanu was jailed in 2015, for his part in the illegal arrest and imprisoning of the then Chief Judge of Criminal Abdulla Mohamed during the presidency of Mohamed Nasheed in January 2012.
High Court of Maldives upheld the jail sentence when former defence minister appealed his case. He later appealed the Supreme Court to review the case, resulting in the nullification of his sentence.