MALE — Supporters of former Maldives president Mohamed Nasheed streamed to the tiny capital island Male Friday for a mass protest against his detention on terror charges, which has sparked international condemnation.



Organizers said they expected a "big crowd" for the protest, held a day after a court gave the opposition leader just three days to prepare his defense against charges his supporters say are trumped up and denied him access to his legal team.



Nasheed, the country's first democratically elected leader, was arrested on Sunday and charged with terrorism over the detention of criminal court judge Abdullah Mohamed in 2012, when he was still president.



The United States and regional power India have voiced concern over the charges, which carry a jail sentence of more than 10 years, and the manner in which Nasheed was dragged roughly into court on Monday and denied both legal access and medical treatment. — AFP