The Prosecutor General’s Office on Thursday pressed terrorism charges against over 40 individuals accused of setting the Seenu Gan police station on fire on February 8, including Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) MP Mohamed Rasheed and Addu City Councillor Ahmed Mirzadh.
Terrorism charges carry a jail term of 10 to 15 years.
On February 8, a brutal police crackdown on an MDP march across Male’ sparked riots across the country. The crackdown came after thousands of MDP supporters took to the streets, rallied by former President Mohamed Nasheed who had declared that his resignation the previous day was “under duress.”
In the southernmost atoll of Addu, police stations, police vehicles and a police training academy as well as court buildings were set ablaze.
MDP MP for mid-Hithadhoo constituency, Mohamed Rasheed ‘Matrix Mode’ was arrested in the wake of the violence in Addu City on February 8.
The Prosecutor General’s Office last week pressed charges against 21 people accused of damaging state property.
Trials have already begun for 13 people accused of setting the court house in Hulhudhoo ward of Addu City on fire.
The formerly ruling MDP has meanwhile condemned the “false charges” pressed against “elected representatives of the people of Addu City” and a number of citizens as “politically motivated”.
In a statement on Thursday, the party said it believes the charges represented “a deliberate attempt by the regime to destabilise the country ahead of the Commission of National Inquiry’s report into February’s transfer of power, which is due to be published on August 30.”
“Aside from politically motivated legal action, senior members of Dr Waheed’s regime, including Home Minister Mohamed Jameel, have publicly stated that the regime will arrest President Nasheed and ensure he spends the rest of his life in jail. These statements have been made despite the fact that a trial has not taken place, and while the Minister himself has stated that the ‘judiciary seems to be operating in wanton… and needs to increase public confidence,’” the statement read.
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This is silly. If MDP mp's have the courage to set buildings alight, then they should also have the courage to serve the prison sentence. As the saying goinh dOnt do the crime if you cant do the time.
That said, if the MDP activists are innocent then they have nothing to fear, however given the fact that there are videos available of MDP activists rallying under the MDP flag, throwing stones and then setting police stations on fire, the likelihood of saying "IM INNOCENT" and getting set free is pretty low.
The fact that MDP released this statement is proof that MDP is going to support its MDP members who committed arson on February 8th.
Maldivian law really needs to catch up on what constitutes terrorism. Any other legal system would classify these crimes as violent disorder or criminal damage. In November 2004, a United Nations Secretary General report described terrorism as any act "intended to cause death or serious bodily harm to civilians or non-combatants with the purpose of intimidating a population or compelling a government or an international organization to do or abstain from doing any act". Since the reported act refers to attacks on property and an unelected government the charge of terrorism does not stand under international law, but then the fact is known that Maldives don't follow international law only politicial motivation.
Being registered in MDP is a free ticket to commit crime in Maldives.
Terrorism?
Those who bombed sultan park roam free. What could be a terrorist act, if not those?
About time the degenerate miscreants and harlots of this "MalDeviant" island are held accountable for their outrageous behaviour which defy modesty, tranquility and civilisation itself.
No more blowing up government buildings, women walking around half naked and practicing black magic for the Adduans, and their delinquent pro-Maldeviant-Democratic-Party offspring.
Event on February 07th was violent riot, triggered by police action. The police action caused the fall of democratically elected government and their savage behavior on 06th February has stirred anger of the Maldivian savage public who supported MDP. It was chain reaction of uncivilized people who acts on emotions rather than on calculated intelligence action. You can’t call this as terrorism. It was revenge on police who are no different in this savage society. The biggest problem is, Maldivian has not evolved a language to interact with modern day world. And they have no art or literature to enhance spatial intelligence. A pity a world Maldivian live and they were pushed in to abbeys by Qayoom to a point there is no return
You are correct. MalDeviants are savages, especially MalDeviants from Addu.
Didn't Nasheed build them a nice airport? Put them aboard a plane and fly them over to Trivandrum to be rid of them for good.
Only virtuous wombs beget virtuous offspring.
Matrix mode should face justice. Whoever who commit crime also should face justice. there are living proof that so called matrix acted like the hero in Matrix. There are speculation in Addu that He has begged his fellow family members from other side of the politics who ate supporters of current regime and asked that it is a big mistake he did and should not have done it.
Dr.Waheed is the elected V.President in 2008. Due to disabilities of Nasheed he has to resigned therefore presidentcy goes to Waheed.
All the people of who took part in 08Feb terrorism Act should serve their sentence.
Nasheed should be charged for treason, corruption and terrorism. He should be sentenced to death. In history of Maldives we have not seen so much corruption, gang fights and killings. As if the MDPians are holding free pass for crime.
He never ruled the country as a Elected president but was there as MDP president.
Above all MDP never won the election of 2008, we voted coalition government from all parties.