Cartoonist and artist, Ahmed Abbas has been released after completing his sentence. Abbas had been sentenced to 6 months in jail for ‘disobedience to orders’.
Maldivian Democratic Party’s active member, Abbas was released on the same day as World Press Freedom Day.
Abbas said that the government freed him on Thursday evening although his sentence had been completed on the 2nd of this month.
Abbas said that after being a free man he would spend his time relaxing with his family instead of going back to his business and drawing.
“I need time to go back to my old work,” said Abbas. “For now I will spend my time with my family. I haven’t gone out of my home yet.”
Under article 88 of the penal code Abbas was convicted in absentia for “disobedience to order” on November 1 last year. He was jailed after he made comments that the court said incited violence against police in a Minivan Daily article issued on 2 August last year.
In the article Abbas had written: “What we should do to those in the Star Force [police] who beat us, is to seek them out individually and for us to act in such a manner that makes them feel that beatings result in pain; otherwise they will not be subdued.”
At the time Criminal Court had said that the reason for sentencing Abbas in absentia is due to him repeatedly ignoring court orders and failing to turn up in court even after publicly announcing for him to attend court. However Abbas had rejected the claims and had later appealed to Maldives High Court. After several days the High Court rejected the appeal and ruled in favour of the lower court.
Source: Haveeru
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