Colombo:
A court in the Maldives has slapped a travel ban on ousted President Mohamed Nasheed pending a hearing next week over allegations that he abused his power during his tenure, his party said on Wednesday.
The order confines Mr Nasheed to the capital island Male and was served late on Tuesday soon after he returned from Britain, said Shauna Aminath, a spokeswoman for his Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP).
"The order prevents him from leaving Male as well as the country," Ms Aminath said from Male when contacted by telephone. Mr Nasheed has been asked to be in the criminal court on October 1 for the trial to begin, she said.
In July, the same court refused to try Mr Nasheed saying it had no jurisdiction, but a higher court later ruled it could hear allegations that he ordered the illegal arrest of a judge in January.
Mr Nasheed ordered senior judge Abdullah Mohamed's arrest in January over corruption allegations in a move that triggered weeks of protests capped by a police mutiny that saw him ousted as leader on February 7.
The charge of wrongful arrest of a judge carries up to three years in prison or exile to a remote island.
The former leader has said he was forced to quit as a result of a military coup backed by his then deputy Mohamed Waheed, who took over leadership of the Indian Ocean atoll nation of 330,000 Sunni Muslims.
Apart from the criminal case against him, Mr Nasheed has also been summoned to the civil court over two suits filed by Police Commissioner Abdullah Riyaz and Defence Minister Mohamed Nazim, who say they have been defamed by the ex-leader.
Those two cases are to be taken up separately on September 30 and October 2, Ms Aminath said.
The MDP condemned the latest court action saying they were aimed at preventing him from campaigning.
"This detention is politically motivated, aimed solely at preventing president Mr Nasheed from campaigning ahead of next year's elections," the MDP said in a statement.
There was no immediate comment from the government.
Soon after Mr Nasheed's downfall, the government secured a warrant for his arrest on charges of abuse of power, but the warrant was never executed following international pressure on the new regime.
The United States, the Commonwealth and neighbouring India have backed Mr Nasheed's calls for presidential elections to be held this year, but President Waheed has ruled out polls before July next year.
Mr Nasheed became the first democratically elected president of the atoll nation after winning its first multi-party elections in 2008.
The political upheaval in February has dented the image of the Maldives as a peaceful paradise known for its luxury resorts and pristine island beaches.
The order confines Mr Nasheed to the capital island Male and was served late on Tuesday soon after he returned from Britain, said Shauna Aminath, a spokeswoman for his Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP).
"The order prevents him from leaving Male as well as the country," Ms Aminath said from Male when contacted by telephone. Mr Nasheed has been asked to be in the criminal court on October 1 for the trial to begin, she said.
In July, the same court refused to try Mr Nasheed saying it had no jurisdiction, but a higher court later ruled it could hear allegations that he ordered the illegal arrest of a judge in January.
Mr Nasheed ordered senior judge Abdullah Mohamed's arrest in January over corruption allegations in a move that triggered weeks of protests capped by a police mutiny that saw him ousted as leader on February 7.
The charge of wrongful arrest of a judge carries up to three years in prison or exile to a remote island.
The former leader has said he was forced to quit as a result of a military coup backed by his then deputy Mohamed Waheed, who took over leadership of the Indian Ocean atoll nation of 330,000 Sunni Muslims.
Apart from the criminal case against him, Mr Nasheed has also been summoned to the civil court over two suits filed by Police Commissioner Abdullah Riyaz and Defence Minister Mohamed Nazim, who say they have been defamed by the ex-leader.
Those two cases are to be taken up separately on September 30 and October 2, Ms Aminath said.
The MDP condemned the latest court action saying they were aimed at preventing him from campaigning.
"This detention is politically motivated, aimed solely at preventing president Mr Nasheed from campaigning ahead of next year's elections," the MDP said in a statement.
There was no immediate comment from the government.
Soon after Mr Nasheed's downfall, the government secured a warrant for his arrest on charges of abuse of power, but the warrant was never executed following international pressure on the new regime.
The United States, the Commonwealth and neighbouring India have backed Mr Nasheed's calls for presidential elections to be held this year, but President Waheed has ruled out polls before July next year.
Mr Nasheed became the first democratically elected president of the atoll nation after winning its first multi-party elections in 2008.
The political upheaval in February has dented the image of the Maldives as a peaceful paradise known for its luxury resorts and pristine island beaches.
Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world
