Amal on speakers panel, National Press Club, Washington DC April 30, 2015

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Fighting for the Release of Imprisoned Former Maldives President Nasheed Mohamed

Location: Murrow Room

Fighting for the Release of Imprisoned
Former Maldives President Nasheed Mohamed
Washington, DC – Laila Ali, wife of imprisoned former President of the Maldives Mohamed Nasheed, will speak at a National Press Club Newsmakers news conference on Thursday, April 30, and make public a filing that day to the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention urging it to find that Nasheed is being held in violation of international law.
Examining the case with Ali will be her international lawyers Amal Clooney and Jared Genser.
After many years as a dissident journalist, prisoner of conscience, and democracy activist, Mohamed Nasheed became the first democratically elected President of the Maldives in 2008. As President, Nasheed used his position to strengthen democratic institutions in the Maldives and as a platform to advocate for increased awareness of and action against global warming. He made global headlines by staging an underwater cabinet meeting to highlight his low-lying country’s vulnerability to rising sea levels. He also set an example by outlining policy to make the Maldives carbon-neutral, transitioning from oil to solar power. His environmental efforts were chronicled in the acclaimed documentary The Island President.
Nasheed was forced to resign in 2012, under the threat of personal violence against him in a coup d’etat. Despite winning a plurality of the vote in the country’s 2013 elections, that nation’s Supreme Court annulled the results, returning to power the same family which had ruled the Maldives for decades.
Nasheed was convicted and sentenced to 13 years in prison on “terrorism” charges in March, stemming from the alleged wrongful detention of a judge by the Maldivian military while he was president. Amnesty International condemned the “sham trial,” and said the verdict was a “travesty of justice.”
This NPC Newsmakers news conference is scheduled for Thursday, April 30 at 10 a.m. in the club’s Murrow Room, on the 13th Floor of the National Press Building, 529 14th St. NW, Washington DC 20045.
Like all Newsmaker events, this news conference is open to credentialed press and NPC club members, free of charge. No advance registration is required. The news conference will also
Contact: Tony Gallo NPC Newsmakers Event Host
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For More Information On This Event, Contact:
Tony Gallo
202-544-6973
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Very exciting.  She's going to be in the "hood".  Wish I could go.  But I'm neither a journalist, credentialed or not nor a member of the National Press Club.  On its own not sure that Laila Ali, the wife of the former President of the Maldives would garner a big turnout but I suspect there will be a lot of journalists and NPC members who will be curious to see and hear Amal speak.

Will Not Rest Until Nasheed Is Released: Amal Clooney

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Ahead of May Day protest in Maldives, wife of former president Mohamed Nasheed and present lawmaker of the country, Laila Ali Abdulla and lawyer Amal Clooney addressed a press conference at the National Press Club in Washington.
Clooney said that being Nasheed’s representative, we will not rest until ruling Abdulla Yameen government is not releasing the former president.
The international lawyer said that she will request the US to pressurise the Yameen regime for the release of the former Maldives president Nasheed.

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Beginning the presser, Laila said that she is worried about the health and safety of her husband who was transferred thrice. 

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Explaining the present situation of the country, she said that boats of MDP supporters are being burnt.
Thousands of people from Maldives’ remote atolls have started gathering in the capital Malé for a mass anti-government protest on Friday.
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However, the police had threatened a crack-down claiming opposition supporters are planning to attack the security officers and the residences of government officials.
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The Maldivians against tyranny coalition has vowed to bring out 25,000 people on to the streets of Malé after the government turned down calls for negotiation over the imprisonment of ex president Mohamed Nasheed and former defence minister Mohamed Nazim.

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Amal Clooney gets back to business at human rights press conference in DC after a night out with George and her family in New York




High-power human rights lawyer - and George Clooney's newlywed wife - Amal Clooney held a press conference in Washington DC today calling for the release of imprisoned former president of Maldives Mohamed Nasheed.

Mrs Clooney appeared before reporters at the National Press Club at 10am Thursday, accompanied by Laila Ali, the wife of the jailed politician, and Jared Genser, the founder of organization Freedom Now.

Nasheed, the Indian Ocean archipelago's first democratically elected leader who came to power in 2008, was convicted under tough anti-terror laws last month and sentenced to 13 years in prison.


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Professional: Amal Clooney held a press conference in Washington DC today calling for the release of imprisoned former president of Maldives Mohamed Nasheed
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Looking stern: Clooney, 37, appeared before reporters at the National Press Club in the capital 
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Business chic: Clooney wore a navy blue pants suit paired with a plain white blouse beneath her single-button jacket
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Big case: Amal is part of a high-profile international legal team representing ousted and jailed Maldivian ex-President Nasheed, who has been sentenced to 13 years in prison  
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Committed: In her remarks Thursday in Washington, Mrs Clooney said she will not rest until Nasheed walks free.




The case against the president, who was ousted in 2012 in what has been described by hs supporters as a coup, stemmed from the alleged wrongful detention of a judge by the Maldivian military.

The Maldives leader's trial has sparked international concern for the fledgling island democracy after local and foreign human rights activists said the former president's imprisonment was politically motivated.

Amnesty International panned the 'sham trial,' and said the verdict was a 'travesty of justice,' according to a press release put out by the National Press Club Thursday.

In early April, Nasheed announced a high-profile legal team, including Amal Clooney, will spearhead a fresh attempt to secure his release.

In her prepared remarks Thursday in Washington, Mrs Clooney said she will not rest until Nasheed walks free, reported the India's Focus News. 

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All eyes on her: The British-Lebanese attorney said she will appeal to the US government to put pressure on the government of Maldives to release her client
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High hopes: In early April, Nasheed announced Amal Clooney and her colleagues will launch a fresh attempt to secure his release
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Outcry: Local and foreign human rights activists have raised concerns that Mrs Clooney's client has been unjustly imprisoned 

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Dream team: Clooney (far left) was joined by Jared Genser (third left), the founder of human rights organization Freedom Now
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Wife speaks out: Laila Ali said she is concerned for the health and safety of her husband

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Style icon: The 37-year-old brunette beauty appeared the epitome chic leaving the National Press Club Thursday morning, a cup of coffee and her iPhone in hand
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Her blue suede shoes: Clooney paired her crisp business suit with eye-catching stilettos 
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For a pop of color, the fashion-forward attorney tied a brightly hued scarf to her leather tote bag 


The Oxford- and NYU Law-educated attorney said she will appeal to the US government to put pressure on the government of Maldives, headed by Abdulla Yameen, to release her client.

Laila Ali said she is concerned for the health and safety of her husband, who has been bouncing around prisons since his sentencing.

Mohamed Nasheed came to power after building a pro-democracy movement with local and foreign support in opposition to the 30-year autocratic rule of Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, the half-brother of President Yameen

During the press conference in DC Thursday, Amal Clooney, 37, was all business, sporting a chic navy blue pants suit with a plain white blouse under her single-button jacket.






Less than two days earlier, the raven-haired Mrs Clooney enjoyed a night out on the town in New York City with her parents and Hollywood superstar husband.    

George and his better half cut a handsome couple on the night out, with the Gravity star tending to his leading lady on the way out of Caravaggio Restaurant on the Upper East Side, holding her hand as they made their way to a waiting vehicle.
The Lebanese-British lawyer paired a floral print flared mini-dress with lace-up stilettos and her jet black locks styled glossy and voluminous around her shoulders.
A pop of red lipstick complemented a matching coloured band at her waist and she accessorised with diamond earrings.


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Lawyers petition UN over jailed Maldives ex-president



Lawyers for the Maldives' former president Mohamed Nasheed said they filed a petition with the United Nations on Thursday arguing that his detention is illegal and a violation of international law.

The appeal to the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention in Geneva came as Nasheed's wife Laila Ali visited Washington to lobby the White House, State Department and Congress to press for his release.

"This is a very difficult time for me and my children, but today I also have hope," Ali said in Washington, alongside her legal team that includes London-based human rights lawyer Amal Clooney.


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Laila Ali (C), wife of former Maldives president Mohamed Nasheed, during a press conference on April 30, 2015 in Washington, DC ©Brendan Smialowski (AFP)

Nasheed was imprisoned for 13 years in March following a rushed trial which the United Nations says violated international standards as well as the Maldives' own laws and practices.

President Abdulla Yameen has called on foreign governments to respect the conviction of Nasheed, the Maldives' first democratically elected president, who was toppled in 2012 after what he called a coup.

Clooney, whose husband is Hollywood film star George Clooney, described Nasheed as a "political prisoner" who was "wrongly convicted" at the conclusion of "a sham trial."

"He's still a popular figure," she told reporters at the National Press Club, with his arrest prompting ongoing demonstrations in the Maldives capital Male.

Clooney said: "In our filing, we ask the UN to rule that president Nasheed's detention is arbitrary and illegal under international law."



- 'Politically motivated' -



The filing, she said, argues that Nasheed's trial was "politically motivated," with no evidence presented, before a biased court where the accused was manhandled by police and denied access to lawyers.

"We hope that as a result of today's filing that the UN will demand that the government of the Maldives take the only action that can address this injustice: Free president Nasheed," Clooney said.

Last week Amnesty International warned of a "rapidly deteriorating" human rights situation in the Maldives that clashed with the archipelago's international image as a sun-kissed holiday destination.

Its researcher for the Maldives, Abbas Faiz, said in New Delhi that harassment and attacks as well as denial of justice by the courts were increasingly common against anyone voicing dissent.

Last month, the US State Department asked Yameen's government to ensure Nasheed's safety and well-being in custody, but stopped short of demanding his release or threatening sanctions.

The European Union, a major source of tourism for the Maldives, meanwhile pressed its government to "act responsibly and uphold constitutional freedoms" and ensure a fair and transparent process if Nasheed appeals his conviction.

Nasheed was internationally known for his concern about climate change, famously holding cabinet meetings underwater to underscore the danger of rising sea levels to his low-lying country.

Mother-of-two Ali said that as first lady, she preferred to keep a low profile, but "I'm speaking out now because my husband has been silenced and is not in a position to speak for himself."



- 'Sick joke' -



It was a "sick joke," she said, for the government to claim that Nasheed is being treated in prison like a VIP.

"I am worried, really worried about his health and safety, but my husband remains strong and resolute," said Ali, who last saw her husband for an hour on April 21.

"He is determined to fight this injustice until his last breath."

Besides Clooney, who has defended former Ukrainian prime minister Yulia Tymoshenko, Nasheed's legal team includes Jared Genser, who has represented Myanmar's Aung San Suu Kyi and Ben Emmerson, a judge on war crimes in Rwanda and the former Yugoslavia.

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Lawyer Amal Clooney (L) and Laila Ali, wife of former Maldives president Mohamed Nasheed, sit together after a press conference on April 30, 2015 in Washington, DC ©Brendan Smialowski (AFP)

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Maldives police try to move former president Mohamed Nasheed (C) during a scuffle as he arrives at a courthouse in Male on February 23, 2015 ©Adam Sireii (AFP/File)

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Thanks Nicky.  Great pics here.  You have been very busy today with all of your posts!  Thanks for all the hard work to keep us Clooney lovers informed 

Yes, I second that! Thanks, Nicky!

Are there any clips of the press conference? Or a full video?

Thank you Donnamarie and Katie

Codexchick, Videos below

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I recognise Kerry in the last pic but not the other People in the pics. Who is the grey man in the first pic and the woman in the second?

I don't like snigger to make ppl look to small or stupid. Amal let herself down with this speech

Seems rather ill-prepared from the speech blurbs we've seen.  Not a good speaker.

The gray haired man is Senator Bob Corker from Tennessee.  He is also the Chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee in the Senate in the Congress. That's the connection as to why Amal and her client's wife are meeting with him.  The woman is Nancy Pelosi.  She's a Congresswoman from California and is the Minority Leader of the House of Representatives  in the Congress.

I looked at those videos and see absolutely nothing in Amal's presentation that is worthy of criticism here.  She looked prepared, made eye contact with her audience and her remarks were clear and concise.

Thanks for the clips!

FYI I just posted a new article Amal wrote for The Guardian regarding this case in the Amal and Her Work thread.  Worth a read.

She did a good job she was prepared there was nothing wrong with her presentation.

Oh God! Amal is a perfect skeleton

catwoman wrote:Oh God! Amal is a perfect skeleton

I see that she is really skinny, but that pants suit makes her look even skinnier.
As for her speech I think she sounds sensible and made her points clear. I would have
loved to hear more of what she had to say.

Unfortunately, the thinnes of her face ages her.  Probably not the effect she would like.

she seems to know what she is talking about, being well prepared and looking sharp and slim as ever. All the cameras are on her, now that she is Mrs. Clooney. Before that, no one ever heard of her. George seems to be happy with his in-laws in town and all is well on the clooney side. bg