The former president of the Maldives, Mohamed Nasheed, has called on the United States and European nations to levy sanctions against Maldivian officials for human rights abuses in the Maldives. Nasheed was the Maldives’ first democratically elected president, known internationally for his work on climate change. He was ousted in 2012 in what he called an armed coup by supporters of his predecessor, Maumoon Abdul Gayoom. He is now serving a 13-year sentence under antiterrorism laws. He has been permitted to travel to London for back surgery, where he spoke alongside his lawyer, Amal Clooney.

Mohamed Nasheed: “It’s easy to topple a dictator, but not so easy to uproot a dictatorship. The lingering remains of dictatorships remain in the countries, in societies, for far longer than we think we know.”