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    Britain Could Use Sanctions to Pressure Maldives on Political Prisoners

   by Reuters

   Britain could impose sanctions on Maldivian individuals if the Maldives
   government fails to take action to free political prisoners, Prime
   Minister David Cameron said Wednesday.

   Mohamed Nasheed, the Maldives' first democratically elected president,
   is serving a 13-year sentence on terrorism charges for the alleged
   abduction of a judge after a rapid trial last March that drew
   international criticism.

   Nasheed and his lawyer, Amal Clooney, met Cameron at Downing Street in
   London on Saturday after the former president won permission to travel
   to Britain for surgery. The Maldives gained independence from the
   United Kingdom in 1965.

   "We want to see a change in behavior from the Maldivian government to
   make sure that political prisoners are set free and, yes, we are
   prepared to consider targeted action against individuals if further
   progress isn't made," Cameron said in Parliament.

   He was responding to a question from lawmaker John Glen about whether
   Britain would work to build an international consensus on targeted
   sanctions.

   On Saturday, Cameron's office said the prime minister and Nasheed had
   agreed that a Commonwealth meeting to be held in the Maldives next
   month would provide an opportunity to press the Maldivian government to
   engage in "open political dialogue and free all remaining political
   prisoners swiftly."
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   [1]http://www.voanews.com/content/britain-sanctions-pressure-maldives-p
   olitical-prisoners/3166039.html

References

   1. http://www.voanews.com/content/britain-sanctions-pressure-maldives-political-prisoners/3166039.html