Mohamed Nasheed leaves Indian mission after 11 days

Ending eleven days of stalemate, ex-Maldivian President Mohamed Nasheed today walked out of the Indian High Commission in Male where he was holed up since last Wednesday to evade an arrest warrant.

Nasheed walked out of the mission at 4:15 pm (IST) after which India said it hoped that with this development the former President will again resume his social and political life.

"We welcome this development," President Mohamed Waheed's Press Secretary Masood Imad said in Male adding there was no arrest warrant against Nasheed at the moment.

However, he also added that "I am happy that the longest meeting in world has ended. We were formally told by the High Commission on the first day that Nasheed had come into the Mission for a meeting and will be out once it is over."

Nasheed has been in the Indian Mission since February 13 to evade arrest after he failed to appear in court on charges of detaining Chief Criminal Judge Abdulla Mohamed during his Presidency. His party claimed that the case was politically motivated and designed to disqualify him from taking part in September Presidential polls.

"It will be recalled that the former President had entered the Indian Mission in Male on 13 February 2013 on his own volition and had similarly decided to leave on his own.

"It is hoped that with this development the former President will again resume his social and political life," the Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement in New Delhi.

The breakthrough came after a high-level MEA team led by Joint Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla was sent to Maldives where it held a series of meetings with senior government ministers and various other stakeholders.

"The Indian government wishes to thank all those who have cooperated in these efforts, the MEA statement said.

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