MALE — Police in the Maldives said on Saturday they had made nearly 200 arrests during clashes at a protest over the jailing of former President Mohamed Nasheed, after the UN’s top rights body denounced his trial as unfair.



Riot police fired tear gas and baton-charged the late night protest on the honeymoon islands, said witnesses to what was the biggest show of support for Nasheed since he was handed a 13-year jail term in March.



Nasheed’s Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) said one of its top lieutenants were among those arrested on the capital island of Male, while the head of the largest party in the mainly Sunni Muslim nation was detained.



The streets of Male appeared to be calm on Saturday morning as police put the number of arrests at 193. — AFP