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Maumoon Abdul Gayoom (Arabic: مأمون عبد القيوم; Dhivehi: މައުމޫން ޢަބްދުލް ޤައްޔޫމް) GCMG, NGIV (born 29 December 1937) is a Maldivian diplomat and politician who served as President of the Maldives from 1978 to 2008. After serving as transport minister, he was nominated president by the People's Majlis and succeeded Ibrahim Nasir in 1978. He was defeated in 2008 during the first Presidential Elections after democratic reforms in the Maldives. He holds the nations highest award, "The Most Honourable Order of Distinguished Rule of Ghaazee", presented to him in 2013. Maumoon was the longest-serving president in Asia.
Maumoon was arrested on 5 February 2018, for conspiring to overthrow the government along with his son-in-law Mohamed Nadheem. His son son, Faris Maumoon, was also arrested. Maumoon was freed on bail in September 2018 and later acquitted. (Full article...)