Male: The Maldives' ex-president Mohamed
Nasheed was injured on Wednesday and briefly hospitalised after he
was beaten by police during a rally of his supporters in the
capital, his cousin said.
Mohamed Nasheed, who says he was forced from power
yesterday in a bloodless coup, was injured along with several
other members of his Maldivian Democratic Party, his cousin
and fellow party member Eva Abdulla said.
"He was beaten," she said. "He's safe now and back
home."
Reeko Moosa Manik, the chair of the MDP, was also
admitted to hospital with head and back injuries after being
beaten by police, a family member said.
And former MDP chairperson Mariya Didi was also
beaten, local media and Abdulla said.
Military spokesman Ibrahim Azim confirmed Nasheed had
"received some small injuries because the crowds were huge and
he has been taken to hospital".
Several thousand supporters chanting pro-Nasheed
slogans clashed with police and troops in riot gear in central
Male in the afternoon.
Stones were thrown by protesters at the police, who
responded with multiple rounds of tear gas and were later seen
by a correspondent beating people with their batons.
"We strongly condemn the violent attack," the MDP said
in a statement, calling on the international community to
"assist us" in securing the release of those detained.
"We're not going to stop," said Mohamed Abdulla, an
MDP supporter. "We'll just regroup and protest elsewhere."
"These people have seized our power!" another
protester shouted.
Nasheed had led the crowd into the square following a
meeting of the MDP leadership, which passed a resolution
calling the new administration of President Mohamed Waheed
illegitimate.
Nasheed insisted
that he had been forced into resigning by a group of armed
rebel police and army officers who had threatened a bloodbath
if he refused.
He has been replaced as head of state by his vice
president, Mohamed Waheed, who Nasheed suspects of conspiring
in the alleged plot to overthrow him.
PTI
First Published: Thursday, February 09, 2012, 00:07