Former President Mohamed Nasheed has said that the situation in the Maldives still was very bleak, but he had not given up hope.

He made the statement speaking in the ongoing Oslo Freedom Forum.

Speaking on the topic of ‘After the coup in the Maldives’, Nasheed highlighted the work he had carried out since 1989 to bring democracy to the Maldives and the various struggles he had faced in the struggle. He noted the various inhumane treatment that he had received from the regime while he was in detention.

‘Smart dictators do not want information, but to surrender to the state… I was stubborn, I did not confess,’ he said.

Nasheed noted that his hard work was rewarded with the public finding and raising their voices for a free and fair elections in 2008. This, he said resulted in ushering the first democratically elected Government.

Reflecting on the 2012 coup, Nasheed said it was led by Police and the Army fuelled by religious extremism. He added that in 2013’s Presidential elections, the current Government had sought to nullify and cancel any results that came in favour of Maldivian Democratic Party. This, he said continued until they won and MDP had conceded defeat.

Nasheed highlighted that since 2013, free speech and media have been under attack in the Maldives. He expressed hope that justice will be found for slain blogger Yameen Rasheed. In spite of the attacks on the media, he said the regime had not been able to crush the opposition.

‘Never ever give up… Giving up is exactly what dictators want you to do. You can only beat them by not giving in. Dictators can do many many things, but they can’t make you give up. Only you can do that,’ he said.

2017’s Oslo Freedom Forum, its ninth sitting, will be held until the 24th May, and aims unite 'dissidents, activists, artists, journalists, and change-makers'.