Foreign Minister Dunya Maumoon has slammed alleged attempts to place Maldives on the formal agenda of the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group (CMAG) over former President Mohamed Nasheed’s trial on terrorism charges.
Speaking to the press at the President’s Office today, Dunya accused unnamed “foreigners” working alongside local opposition politicians of pushing for CMAG action against the Maldives on the grounds that the opposition leader’s trial was unlawful and unfair.
Nasheed’s trial was proceeding in accordance with laws and regulations, Dunya insisted, arguing that the “issue does not necessarily have to be taken to CMAG.”
Dunya also claimed there was “no international pressure” regarding Nasheed’s trial, stating that other countries would not be allowed to meddle with Maldives’ domestic affairs.
“CMAG placed us on their agenda in 2012. We believe it was not the best action and CMAG also has the same views,” said Dunya.
“Commonwealth does not want to go through the same experience. It was a bitter experience.”
Nasheed is presently on trial at the Criminal Court over the military detention of Criminal Court Chief Judge Mohamed Abdulla in 2012.
If convicted, the opposition leader faces ten to 15 years of imprisonment or banishment.
Meanwhile, a ruling Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) MP has proposed amendments to the Prisons and Parole Act that if passed would effectively strip Nasheed of his party membership.
Also speaking at the press conference today, Attorney General Mohamed Anil – who recently flew to Sri Lanka to brief diplomatic missions about Nasheed’s prosecution – said the international community raised a number concerns.
Anil revealed that foreign diplomats inquired as to why the charges against Nasheed were abruptly changed from arbitrary detention to terrorism, while sharing concerns over the swift speed of trial proceedings.
The attorney general said the Maldives delegation responded by explaining that the Judge Abdulla’s detention was not arbitrary detention as he was neither presented at court within 24 hours nor released despite several court orders.
Anil also dismissed Nasheed’s legal team’s claim of insufficient time for preparation, arguing that his lawyers have had access to the prosecution evidence and witness testimony since 2012. The only difference was the charge of terrorism, he said.
Dunya meanwhile said that she recently briefed numerous diplomats regarding the trial during trips to Geneva and the United Kingdom, including Minister of State for the UK’s Foreign and Commonwealth Office Hugo Swire.
Swire had previously released a statement stressing the importance of following due process and respecting Nasheed’s rights “for international confidence in the Maldives.”
“It is also incumbent upon the Government of Maldives to ensure his safety. We urge calm right across Maldives and we encourage all parties to act with moderation and restraint,” he said.
“The UK will continue to monitor the situation closely.”
Maldives was previously placed on the formal agenda of CMAG after Nasheed controversially resigned in February 2012 in the wake of a police mutiny.
Pro-government MPs at the time alleged that the Commonwealth was being bribed by opposition supporters, with MP Riyaz Rasheed claiming that the United Kingdom was “not a democracy” and that the queen was “physically challenged.”
After the Commonwealth Secretary-General released a statement last month expressing concern with denial of legal representation to Nasheed, Dunya issued a counter-statement expressing regret with “the strategic misrepresentation of basic facts in the Secretary General’s statement.”
“I wish to recall that the Commonwealth Secretariat had misread the situation in the Maldives once before, in 2012 and presented it to the CMAG, which took punitive measures against the country,” Dunya said.
“The Maldives, however, emerged from the situation vindicated by the CoNI Report. The government is hopeful that the Commonwealth will not repeat the same mistakes again.”
Related to this story
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Nasheed’s lawyers stage no-show citing insufficient time for preparation
Former President Nasheed arrives in court with arm in makeshift sling
Nasheed denied right to appoint lawyer and appeal “arbitrary” arrest warrant, contend lawyers
EU, UN join international chorus of concern over Nasheed’s arrest, terrorism trial
Australia concerned over civil unrest following Nasheed’s arrest, trial
Commonwealth envoy criticises conduct in parliament, MPs raise bribe allegations
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Yea keep on repeating foreigners can't meddle in domestic affairs. Then don't complain if foreign countries deny The Maldives requests like a beneficial trade agreement. It would be smart to see foreign countries as partners.
And the public should realise foreign countries have little to gain from a country like The Maldives, so their statements are much more objective and trustworthy than statements done by local politicians.
Well boohoo nobody in the world wants to support the crime syndicate known as ppm
The international community had accepted what happened on February 7th 2012 was a coup, as does most Maldivians with a functioning brain. Nobody believed your lies then and nobody believes your lies now. Get over it.
Why Nasheed need to be made to stand above the law ? Our constitution clearly does discriminate and do not have room to make him above the law.
Nasheed had violated many times during his period as a ruler of this country and here are some.
1. Locking up supreme court in 2011 - This is a clear violation of our constitution.
2. Arresting of a judge outside the constitutional right -
3. Hijacking a person and not allowing excess to a lawyer and family etc.
4. Arresting and hijacking MPS putting them in jail without allowing lawyer to meet . President Yameen, Gasim, Jameel, Nazim .
5. Disobeying court order in 2012. Nasheed was given order to present before the court on account of hijacking a person. But Nasheed refuse to present and in fact told that there are no courts that can ask him to attend for any trial.
I guess if he says that there are no courts that can request to attend, meaning is that there are no laws that he had to obey and he is above the law and his words and actions will become the part of the constitution.
CMAG and other international community should also consider the rights of other Maldivian and they should look beyond Nasheed.
Nasheed does not represent the whole country and majority of people does not like him.
But Nasheed and his allies control the media and they played a religious card to align with the foreign countries.
The CoNI report was a con and we all know that.Key evidence was discarded. We know the crooked players behind it under their mask of respectability. OK lets spell it out. That Singapore judge was retired and he had some question marks over his reputation. Even a Google search showed that up. We know why he was recruited.We are paying the price today for legitimizing that sham. The international community, wearily try as they might, had the wool pulled over their eyes. And now that the wool is being scraped off, they are being slapped on the wrist by none other than the deluded dictator's daughter! Crazy times - again.
Dunya means world and the daughter so named is appropriately the FM of Maldives. No kidding.
Aren't foreigners still convinced of the special insights that MAG has into the future… There is definitely some thing about the man.
Anyone says anything agains Nasheed is a criminal .
There are some people who believe that Nasheed as a messenger from GOD.
But we don't need to give s--t about that. he is a criminal and he is the man who ware democratic hat but rule like a dictator .
@Hero, you can spread your putrid lies, but no one will believe you.
1. Locking up supreme court in 2011; a porn studio has no right to operate here.
2. Arresting of a judge that has been found guilty of child abuse and even murder is the duty of the president.
3. Abdulla Mohammed was arrested, pending investigation. And he did have access to legal counsel.
4. Who were the MPs who accused Yaameen, Gasim, etc of criminal actions and bribery? That's right; the MPs that aligned themselves to Maumoon.
5. Your courts have been judged invalid by the People's Supreme Court. We dont want drug dealers, porn stars and murderers as judges. Surrender, and you will be guaranteed a fair trial.
Resist... heh heh heh! Remember to breathe deeply.
@Maldivian.
You can write what ever you want here and Minivan will publish any comments in favor of gnashed.
1. Locking up supreme court . Nasheed had no legal right to do so. If a judge shooting a porn vedio there, then judge need to be arrested and can not lock the supreme court. Surperem court was locked to frighten the public.
2. Arresting of Judge: He was not charged with any of your lam excuses and people like you were accusing him of that. Nasheed has no right to kidnap him . Since Nasheed had majority in supreme court , Judge, Muthasim, Ali Hameed and Judge faiz was Nasheed boys. why did Naheed arrested the judge within the legal frame work when he has ultimate power in the supreme court in 2012.
3. Judge Abdualla can not be arrested by Nasheed by any mean and he should only arrested within the legal mean and not at the whim of Nasheed. This is why Nasheed is now jailed for 13 years for illegally arresting the judge.
4. Nasheed is the man who had accused them and arrested. One side Nasheed kept on saying that he will not oppressed anyone and then next moment , he arrest the all opposition leaders. When Nasheed did this, this become legal and when some else does it become illegal.
5. Yes, Nasheed had formed a "people supreme court" during his dictator ship near artificial beach. That was also completely illegal .
This country does not belong to Kenerege or Kaamineege either. This country to belong to people of Maldives. It does not belong to yellow favor people only and it does belong to us also.
@Hero
A supreme court that willfully perverts the course of justice deserves to be locked.
Your judge was arrested pending investigation, and the charges are not lame excuses like you want us to think, rather they are charges brought to bear by witness testimony, evidence in the court records and the MNDF's confession. You only protect your judge because without him, you'll get jailed when you murder and deal drugs.
The legal reason for the arrest of your judge is because he abused his position of authority to harm Maldivian society by willingly letting murderers, drug dealers and rapists go free.
Nasheed did not arrest opposition leaders; your maumoonist MPs put forth the accusations. Once their lies were exposed, Gasim, Yaameen and Mahloof was freed without charge.
Since you're a foreign mercenary, you don't know that one of the clauses of the constitution state that the people are the supreme authority in the nation. As your courts and institutions have been rejected by the people, the People's Supreme Court is in place.
At least the artificial beach court doesn't have porn stars as judges and murderers as counsel.
This country belongs to the people of the Maldives. And your kind have overstayed your welcome. Go back to Ruder Finn or whatever cesspit you spawned from.