Yoga riot: Fazloon, Nishan granted 10 days to appoint lawyer

Criminal Court on Monday granted 10 days to Fazloon Mohammed and Adam Nishan, accused in the violence that targeted an event to celebrate International Yoga Day at Galolhu football stadium, to appoint a lawyer.

State filed chargesheet against 18 people, including Fazloon and Nishan: 

At the pre-trial hearing on Monday, Judge Hussain Faiz Rashad explained to both the accused whether they had access to the case documents and the rights enjoyed by the accused. Responding to the judge's questions, both Fazloon and Nishan said they had received the documents and wanted to respond to the charges with a lawyer.

The judge granted the suspects' request. 

Senior government officials and foreign diplomats were inside the national stadium participating in the yoga day event when the violent breakup occurred, after the group of protesters had been gathering outside the stadium for some time. The group then broke through security barriers and entered the stadium forcibly, attacking the people inside and damaging property within the stadium and event. 

Twenty-three suspects were initially arrested, but some were later released.

The PG office said in a statement that charges were filed against 18 of them:

Mohamed Ismail, former Hoarafushi MP and a leader of the opposition PPM, is being charged with complicity in an act of terrorism and obstruction of justice. Other high profile people charged with inciting terrorism are religious scholars Fazloon Mohamed and Adam Nishan.