President Mohamed Nasheed, Farah Faizal and J J Robinson

Maldives was the first country to experience the Arab Spring with a new democracy in place in 2008. A military coup in February 2012 deposed the President, Mohamed Nasheed. He was tried, found guilty of domestic terrorism charges and jailed for 13 years in March 2015. The proceedings were criticised by the UN and Amnesty International for being politically motivated and arbitrary. Nasheed, currently in the UK on medical leave from prison, continues to vigorously deny the charges and calls for the release of all political prisoners held under the Yameen Government. We discuss the political situation in Maldives, the implications for the wider region, and lessons learned for other Arab Spring countries. Farah Faizal was the High Commissioner in London. J J Robinson is the author of The Maldives: Islamic Republic, Tropical Autocracy. Chaired by Jon Snow.