Nasheed's arrest sparks int'l concern

The United States and regional power India have voiced concern after former Maldives president Mohamed Nasheed was forcibly dragged into court to face terrorism charges and denied legal access and medical treatment.

Nasheed, who was ousted three years ago, was denied bail at a brief hearing on Monday after being arrested on what critics have labelled trumped-up charges.

The dramatic arrest came amid growing opposition to the government of President Abdulla Yameen, whose spokesman yesterday denied that the move was politically motivated.

"Everything is (happening) according to the law," spokesman Ibrahim Muaz Ali told AFP, rejecting international criticism over the handling of the case.

"This is an internal matter for the Maldives. We are an independent country since 1965."

Nasheed's Maldivian Democratic Party has said that what it called the "trumped-up charges of terrorism" are aimed at cracking down on the opposition before a planned protest rally on Friday.

The Maldives is a major tourist attraction, but political unrest has dented its image as a peaceful island paradise in recent years.

Ali's comments came after regional power India expressed concern over the "arrest and manhandling" of the country's first democratically elected leader.

India's foreign ministry said both sides should "resolve their differences within the constitutional and legal framework of Maldives".

US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia Nisha Biswal also voiced concern at Nasheed's arrest when she spoke to the Maldivian foreign minister at the weekend, a State Department spokeswoman said.

"She (Biswal) urged the government to take steps to restore confidence in... their commitment to democracy, judicial independence, and rule of law, including respect for the right to peaceful protest and respect for due process," spokeswoman Jen Psaki said.

The Commonwealth has also expressed concern, while Canada's Foreign Minister Rob Nicholson said the allegation of terrorism was "politically charged" and "abhorrent".