The jailing of the former President, on terrorism charges, led to street protests in which thousands of people from the island chain participated. Speaking from a detention centre, he said: 'I am determined to ensure the world understands the injustice of my detention and the broader suffering of the Maldivian people under President Abdulla Yameen.'

Egypt

Ms Clooney of Doughty Street Chambers in London has a strong record in defending people in this kind of case. She has acted for Yulia Tymoshenko, the former prime minister of Ukraine, as well as WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange and Mohamed Fahmy, the  Al Jazeera journalist who was detained in Egypt. Source: Financial Times