Former President Abdulla Yameen has said that Speaker Mohamed Nasheed was culpable in his jailing and unfair treatment, according to his lawyer Dr. Mohamed Jameel Ahmed.
Yameen's message through his lawyer came amid Nasheed's calls for his release at Democrats campaign rallies. Last week, Nasheed accused the Progressive Party of Maldives-People's National Congress (PPM-PNC) leadership of seeking to keep Yameen imprisoned and invited the PPM to form a coalition with The Democrats.
Nasheed assured PPM supporters that he would free Yameen within a week of forming the coalition, "even if I have to stay in the streets of Male' all the time."
Speaking at a rally held on Saturday by PPM youth in connection with Yameen spending 1000 days in custody, Jameel said that Yameen believes Nasheed was equally responsible for his imprisonment together with President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih.
"President Yameen believes that while President Ibrahim was responsible foremost for his unjust treatment, President Nasheed participated to the same extent through the JSC [Judicial Service Commission]," Jameel said.
Home Minister Sheikh Imran Abdulla was the other official accused of culpability.
In the message delivered through Jameel, Yameen advised PPM supporters to be wary and appealed against working with The Democrats.
Yameen was sentenced to 11 years in prison after being found guilty of bribery in the leasing of Vaavu Aarah.
Last week, the Supreme Court ruled that Yameen was ineligible to contest in the presidential election due to his conviction.
Despite calling for a boycott of the election after the Supreme Court rejected his candidacy, Yameen later changed his mind and decided to endorse Male' Mayor Dr. Mohamed Muizzu, who is contesting on the PNC ticket.
