The international community cannot turn a blind eye to what is happening in the Maldives
[wysija_form id=”1″]April 23, 2015 – Amnesty International (AI) has warned of deteriorating human rights situation in Maldives, stressing that authorities are abusing the judicial system to crackdown on opposition.
At a press briefing in India, AI’s Maldives Researcher, Mr. Abbas Faiz said authorities are muzzling peaceful protesters, silencing critical media and civil society.
“There’s a climate of fear spreading in the Maldives, as safeguards on human rights are increasingly eroded. The authorities have a growing track record of silencing critical voices by any means necessary – be it through the police, the judicial system, or outright threats and harassment. This must end immediately,” Faiz said.
He called on the international community to wake up and realize that “behind the façade of a tourist paradise, there is a dark trend in the Maldives where the human rights situation is rapidly deteriorating,” he said.
He noted that opposition live in fear as authorities have pursued criminal charges against a number of key opposition figures. He alluded to former President Mohamed Nasheed, who was sentenced on terrorism charges to 13 years in prison on 13 March following a manifestly unfair trial.
“Amnesty International investigated the trials of Mohamed Nasheed and two other imprisoned high-profile opposition politicians: former defence minister Mohamed Nazim and MP Ahmed Nazim. In all three cases, the right to a fair trial has been seriously undermined, and the Maldives authorities appeared to use the judiciary to pursue their own political goals.
“Mohamed Nasheed’s imprisonment came after a sham trial, but he is far from the only one locked up on trumped-up charges and after unfair trials. It is disturbing how far the Maldives government has co-opted the judiciary as a tool to cement its own hold on power,” Faiz said.
He added that protests by Nasheed supporters have been met with harsh response by the authorities. “At least 140 peaceful protesters have been arrested since February, and were only released on conditions that severely limited their rights to take part in further demonstrations. Those detained include at least three MPs from Nasheed’s Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP), as well as other MDP politicians’, he added.
He said that the police authorities have imposed far-ranging restrictions on where and when protests in the Maldives capital Male can take place.
“Demonstrations are only allowed in certain areas far away from official buildings, contrary to international law and standards.
“The international community cannot turn a blind eye to what is happening in the Maldives. The upcoming UN UPR session in Geneva in May is a key moment to push the Maldives authorities to immediately take concrete action to improve the country’s human rights situation,” he said.
