Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom

Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom served as the president of the Maldives from 2013 to 2018. His presidency was marked by significant infrastructure projects, largely funded by China, which strained relations with India, a traditional ally. Yameen's administration was also characterized by stifled criticism and the imprisonment of political opponents. In February 2018, he declared a state of emergency after the Supreme Court overturned sentences of some opponents, leading to concerns about consolidating his autocratic rule. However, a unified opposition put forward Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, who won the subsequent election by a landslide, ending Yameen's term. Yameen was later convicted of money laundering, though this conviction was overturned.12