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The Island President Released From Prison to the UK

If you’re planning on booking that next dive trip to the Maldives, you may want to think twice. Human rights abuses there are on the rise.
“I think it’s important for tourists to know the facts of what’s happening in the Maldives,” human rights lawyer Amal Cooney recently said to NBC News. “I don’t think people realize that there’s a flogging taking place a kilometer away when they’re sunbathing in their resort. Democracy is dead in the Maldives. I mean literally, if there were an election now there would be no one to run against the president. Every opposition leader is either behind bars or being pursed by the government through the courts.”

One such opposition leader is Mohamed Nasheed, the first democratically elected president of the Maldives and international champion of climate change action, who was ousted as president of the Maldives in 2012 and jailed on what Mrs. …

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Climate Change Movies to Watch

The COP21 climate negotiations in Paris are rallying people around the globe to help solve global warming and adapt to its impacts. Among the world leaders gathering in Paris, however, there is a notable absence: former Maldivian President Mohamed Nasheed is behind bars, being held as a political prisoner by his own country. World-famous as the Island President, Nasheed had a profound impact on the COP15 conference in Copenhagen six years ago, during which he represented island nations threatened by sea level rise as an ambassador for the Climate Vulnerable Forum. On November 30th author, climate activist and 350.org founder Bill McKibben called Nasheed a true climate leader in the Guardian:
Six years ago today [Nasheed] was the first head of state to arrive, and he went straight from the airport to a packed meeting hall where he led a giant crowd in chant after chant.…

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Former Maldives President Remains Political Prisoner

By Brett Garling. Originally published on The Inertia on May 14, 2015.

Mohamed Nasheed, the first democratically elected president of the Maldives, is an international champion of climate change action. Unfortunately, he is also a political prisoner, having been found guilty in a sham terrorism trial, and is set to serve a 13 year prison sentence. He is 47 right now and will be 60 when he gets out. Not only were the charges bogus, but the trial was essentially stillborn: the court scheduled a hearing within two hours of his arrest and prevented the defense team from appearing in court because they were required to register two days in advance… a classic catch-22.
Tourism is integral to the Maldives. Indeed, it is the island nation’s largest industry and attracts many water sport lovers and especially surfers who laud the atoll as one of the global prime destinations to catch serious waves.…

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The Island President is Behind Bars

Mohamed Nasheed, the first democratically elected president of the Maldives and international champion of climate change action, was found guilty of terrorism and sentenced to thirteen years in prison this month. Nasheed is accused of ordering the arrest of a Maldivian judge in 2012 when he was still in office. Accusations aside, Nasheed’s defense has been stillborn: the court scheduled a hearing within two hours of his arrest and prevented the defense team from appearing in court because they were required to register two days in advance. As a result of this judiciary obstructionism, Nasheed’s own lawyers have quit the trial, citing biased proceedings and resultant inability to craft a defense. His confinement will be a “prison apartment” according to government officials.…

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A Spectacular Week of Film (and Ocean!) Appreciation Concludes at the Blue Ocean Film Festival

A remarkable spirit of cooperation and mutual support pervaded the Blue Ocean Film Festival this year as the tightly-knit ocean community came together and shared not only films, but visions for more ambitious ocean conservation in the future. Support of marine sanctuaries was omnipresent among the gathered filmmakers, explorers, politicians and other notables. The festival, which alternates between St. Petersburg, Florida and Monaco, is much more than a world-class film festival: it is an epicenter of the ocean conservation dialogue that grows in strength with each succeeding event. Let’s take a look back at a few memorable moments from the week.
The friendship deepened between Mission Blue founder Dr. Sylvia Earle and former President of the Maldives Mohamed Nasheed. Dr. Earle even honored Mr.…

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