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| Ex-Vice President of Maldives Convicted of Trying to Kill President | Ex-Vice President of Maldives Convicted of Trying to Kill President |
| (about 5 hours later) | |
| MALE, The Maldives — A former vice president of the Maldives was convicted on Thursday of trying to assassinate the country’s president by planting a bomb on his speedboat last year. | MALE, The Maldives — A former vice president of the Maldives was convicted on Thursday of trying to assassinate the country’s president by planting a bomb on his speedboat last year. |
| Ahmed Adeeb, the former vice president, was accused of masterminding a plot to kill President Abdulla Yameen in September and sentenced to 15 years in prison. Two of his bodyguards each received 10-year terms for their involvement in the plot. | |
| Mr. Adeeb denied the charges, and a report by the American F.B.I. found no evidence that a bomb had exploded on the president’s boat. | |
| A former prosecutor, Muhuthaz Muhsin, who refused to press charges against Mr. Adeeb, was also convicted on terrorism charges and sentenced to 17 years. | |
| The trials were the latest in a yearlong string of prosecutions of senior leaders and opposition members, including Mohamed Nasheed, a former president. | The trials were the latest in a yearlong string of prosecutions of senior leaders and opposition members, including Mohamed Nasheed, a former president. |
| The Maldives, an archipelago in the Indian Ocean, has a turbulent political history. Three decades of authoritarian rule under Maumoon Abdul Gayoom ended in 2008, when he was replaced by a democratically elected president, Mr. Nasheed. | The Maldives, an archipelago in the Indian Ocean, has a turbulent political history. Three decades of authoritarian rule under Maumoon Abdul Gayoom ended in 2008, when he was replaced by a democratically elected president, Mr. Nasheed. |
| Mr. Nasheed was consequently pushed out of office in early 2012, in what he said was a military coup, and replaced by Abdulla Yameen, Mr. Gayoom’s half brother. | Mr. Nasheed was consequently pushed out of office in early 2012, in what he said was a military coup, and replaced by Abdulla Yameen, Mr. Gayoom’s half brother. |
| Since 2015, Mr. Yameen has been prosecuting his political opponents and other senior leaders of the country. The trials have been carried out behind closed doors in proceedings that have been criticized by the opposition. | |
| Ahmed Mahloof, a spokesman for the coalition of opposition members and politicians in exile, said justice “is nonexistent in the Maldives.” | Ahmed Mahloof, a spokesman for the coalition of opposition members and politicians in exile, said justice “is nonexistent in the Maldives.” |
| “Anyone who is a threat to Yameen’s despotism is bound to be found guilty of terrorism charges,” he added. | “Anyone who is a threat to Yameen’s despotism is bound to be found guilty of terrorism charges,” he added. |
| Mr. Nasheed, the democratically elected president, was convicted of terrorism last year and sentenced to 13 years in prison. He obtained special permission to travel to Britain for health reasons, and was recently granted political asylum there. | Mr. Nasheed, the democratically elected president, was convicted of terrorism last year and sentenced to 13 years in prison. He obtained special permission to travel to Britain for health reasons, and was recently granted political asylum there. |
| On Thursday, Mr. Adeeb was found guilty of plotting the blast on Mr. Yameen’s speedboat, in which his wife and two aides received minor injuries. The president, unscathed, asked the F.B.I. to investigate the explosion. The agency reported finding no evidence of explosives aboard the boat. | |
| Still, the episode prompted Mr. Yameen to declare a state of emergency, saying national security was threatened. Soon after, he called for the prosecution of Mr. Adeeb. | Still, the episode prompted Mr. Yameen to declare a state of emergency, saying national security was threatened. Soon after, he called for the prosecution of Mr. Adeeb. |
| Mr. Adeeb’s lawyer, Moosa Siraj, said the charges against him were baseless. | Mr. Adeeb’s lawyer, Moosa Siraj, said the charges against him were baseless. |
| “The criminal court has barred me from labeling the trial unfair on the threat of contempt of court charges,” Mr. Siraj said. “What I can say is there are several issues of concern and we plan to launch an appeal immediately.” | “The criminal court has barred me from labeling the trial unfair on the threat of contempt of court charges,” Mr. Siraj said. “What I can say is there are several issues of concern and we plan to launch an appeal immediately.” |
| Husnu Suood, a lawyer for Mr. Muhsin, the former chief prosecutor, said the government brought charges against his client after Mr. Mushin opened a corruption investigation into Mr. Yameen and refused to press charges against Mr. Adeeb in connection to the boat blast. | Husnu Suood, a lawyer for Mr. Muhsin, the former chief prosecutor, said the government brought charges against his client after Mr. Mushin opened a corruption investigation into Mr. Yameen and refused to press charges against Mr. Adeeb in connection to the boat blast. |
| The trial took place against the backdrop of what some see as a larger crackdown on dissent here, including a ban on protests, the introduction of a bill that would criminalize defamation, and the closing of the country’s most popular newspaper, Haveeru. |