The Maldives is a tiny island nation about 500 miles southwest of India, perhaps best known as a prime tourist destination for its pristine beaches. What most people do not know is that since it gained independence from Great Britain in 1965, the Maldives was a one-party state and ruled by only two men for over 40 years. The country would not have open, multi-party elections until 2008 when Mohamed Nasheed because the first democratically elected president of the Maldives.
Mohamed made a name for himself as a dissident journalist, regularly challenging the authoritarian regime of former president Maumoon Gayoom. As a result of his outspoken criticism, he was persecuted by the government. In 2003, Nasheed formed the opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP). Mohamed used his position as president as a platform for democratic reforms and climate activism, which were documented in the critically-acclaimed documentary The Island President. However, his presidency was cut short in 2012 by a coup when he was forced to resign at gunpoint.
Despite this, Mohamed remained active in politics. In January 2015, the government lost a key coalition partner who switched allegiance to the MDP. With this bolstered support, Mohamed could have enough support to win the next presidential elections. To diminish this threat, the government concocted false charges of terrorism against him.
Mohamed was arrested on February 22, 2015, and within three weeks he was tried, convicted, and sentenced.
Freedom Now partnered with international lawyers Amal Clooney and Ben Emmerson to represent Mohamed as his international pro bono legal counsel. In April 2015, the group filed a petition with the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention on Mohamed’s behalf. The filing was announced via an event at the National Press Club where Leila Ali, Mohamed’s wife, discussed his imprisonment.
The Working Group released its opinion in October 2015, finding Mohamed’s detention to be arbitrary and calling for his immediate release. The opinion was covered heavily by media outlets, including The Guardian, CNN and The Telegraph, and drew a statement of support from Sir Richard Branson.
In September 2015, the UN Human Rights Council consider the Universal Periodic Review of the Maldives. Because it was recently accredited by the UN, Freedom Now was able to secure a speaking slot for Meera Leila Nasheed, Mohamed’s daughter, that allowed her to address the Council about her father’s imprisonment.
In January 2016, Mohamed was granted permission to leave the Maldives for spinal surgery. In November 2018, the Maldivian Supreme Court overturned his sentence, ruling that he had been wrongfully imprisoned.
Mohamed returned to the Maldives shortly thereafter. He was elected to parliament in 2019 and served as the Speaker of the People’s Majilis until 2023. He remains active in Maldivian politics and climate activism. In November 2024, he was presented with the Global Citizen Award for his climate advocacy and his campaign on human rights activism.