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Nasheed arrives in Sri Lanka, days ahead of return home from exile

23 Oct, 2018

Former President Mohamed Nasheed arrived in Sri Lanka on Monday afternoon, Raajje TV reported.

He traveled to Colombo from the United Kingdom, where he spoke at an event at the SOAS South Asia Institute (SSAI) this past weekend.

Nasheed, who was jailed to 13 years in March 2015, was granted political asylum in the UK in January 2016 after being allowed to travel there for medical purposes.

Speaking at the ?Defending Democracy from Exile: The Maldives Opposition 2012-2018? on Friday, Nasheed emphasized his various work, along with other self-exiled Maldivian politicians, for the country.

He ended the talk by thanking SSAI, as well as United Kingdom, ?for being such good hosts.?

?I would like to thank you for having me, and for being such good hosts. But now I must take my leave, it is time for me to go home. Because, far away, across the Indian Ocean and over the Maldives, the sun is shining,? he said.

The former president has announced that he will return to Maldives on November 1, despite the jail sentence and ?come what may?.

He is expected to fly to Maldives from Colombo. (Colombo Gazette)

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