Former President Abdullah Yameen, who is currently serving a 5-year jail sentence for a money-laundering charge, has received the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.
Maldives Correctional Services had confirmed that the jailed ex-President had received the first dose of the vaccine and that he received his vaccine at ADK hospital.
It did not verify which vaccine was given to the former president but currently Health Protection Agency HPA is only administering the 1st dose of only two COVID vaccines in the Greater Male' Area. This includes Sinopharm and Pfizer COVID vaccines.
HPA had said that due to the shortage of doses, the Pfizer vaccine would only be given to pre-registered individuals on an appointment basis.
This is the second time Yameen had been brought to Male' for COVID vaccination as authorities had transferred the former president to the capital city on the 14th of this month as well.
Authorities had later reported that Yameen had refused to get vaccinated against the pandemic and had been transferred back to Maafushi jail.
But his lawyers had issued a statement saying that authorities had lied about the president's refusal to get vaccinated.
The ex-President has now spent more than 500 days behind bars and the opposition coalition is now planning to hold a massive rally calling for his immediate release from prison.
