Former Maldives President Mohamed Nasheed on Wednesday said he would return to his country in November, more than two years after he went into exile. The announcement came days after Ibrahim Mohamed Solih of Nasheed’s Maldivian Democratic Party was elected the next president.

“To everyone’s attention, I wish to fly back to Maldives on November 1,” Nasheed sent the message to the joint parliamentary group, according to a local media report. “I do not mind how where I stand regarding the cases pressed against me.” He later posted a similar tweet.

Solih will be sworn in on November 17, when incumbent Abdulla Yameen’s term comes to an end. The island nation has been embroiled in political unrest since Nasheed, who became its first democratically elected leader in 2008, was forced to quit amid a mutiny by police in 2012.

Nasheed was booked under anti-terrorism laws in 2015 and sent to prison for 13 years after Yameen came to power. A number of countries had then said these were politically motivated charges. A year later, the United Kingdom granted Nasheed asylum when he was allowed to travel there for medical treatment. Since then he has lived in the UK and Sri Lanka.

Nasheed was among the political prisoners whom the Supreme Court ordered to be released in February. But Yameen’s government defied the order and declared a state of emergency that continued for 45 days. Soon after Yameen declared emergency, security forces stormed the Supreme Court in a midnight crackdown and arrested two judges, including the chief justice.

Before the election results in September, observers believed the polls had been rigged to favour Yameen, who wants closer ties with China. Solih, like Nasheed, leans towards India. He has promised that political prisoners will be released after he takes over.

Nasheed had also announced his plans to contest the presidential elections but later decided against it, citing legal obstacles. The Election Commission had cited terrorism charges against Nasheed as a reason for his ineligibility.