Author: Zaheena Rasheed

Islamic Minister advises Maldivians against participating in foreign wars

Minister of Islamic Affairs Dr Mohamed Shaheem Ali Saeed has urged Maldivians to refrain from participating in foreign wars.

The appeal comes after reports of at least two Maldivian men being killed in the Syrian civil war during May.

According to an online media group called Bilad Al Sham Media, a 44-year-old Maldivian man died  in a suicide attack on May 25 and another was killed two days later in a gun fight against soldiers loyal to Bashar Al Assad.

“[Islam] does not permit shedding another [Muslim] brother’s blood,” Shaheem said noting a high rate of civilian casualties in wars being fought in Muslim countries elsewhere.

Often, wars are being waged between different Muslim factions leading to the death of Muslim women, children, and elderly people and the destruction of mosques and homes, the Islamic Minister said at a press conference today.

“Islamic Jihad is that waged with sincerity, in the name of Allah, in defense of religion and nation, behind a designated Muslim leader, and against enemies of Islam and nation,” he said.

“Hence, rather than destroying oneself in conflicts of an unknown nature, the Islamic Ministry believes it is better to serve one’s own parents, families, and country,” he continued.

“[We] beseech all Maldivian youth and citizens, who love Islam, to refrain from participating in conflicts between one Muslim group and another. It is better to allow the citizens of the country in war to solve their own problems.”

Foreign interference obstructs citizens of a country from achieving their goals and allows governments to claim they are not fighting their own citizens, but foreigners, said Shaheem.

He further said that neither Islamic scholars nor citizens of war torn countries have asked for foreign interference. Instead, they ask foreigners to leave and allow them to solve their internal affairs.

“We must [only] pray for the beloved citizens of those countries under war,” he said before calling on the international community to do more to end bloodshed and conflict in Muslim countries.

‘Good intentions, but the wrong path’

In issuing today’s fatwa, the Islamic Ministry had consulted both local scholars and scholars from Egypt, Tunisia, Iraq, and Saudi Arabia, Shaheem told the press afterwards.

“All [local scholars] of them in general agree people must not go there, to ongoing wars. It is not about deciding if it is a Jihad or not, even if it is Jihad, not to go to foreign countries. When foreigners intervene, it creates even more conflict. Instead of achieving goals, it contributes to greater internal conflict and greater disagreements”

Shaheem said Maldivian militants who go abroad must not be punished, but be rehabilitated and informed of religious teachings.

No Muslim scholar in the Maldives has called on Maldivians to participate in foreign wars, “but there are youth, who get emotional from what they see, of the suffering of Muslims, there are Maldivian youths who want to avenge that,” he said.

Their intention may be good, but the path they have chosen is not the right path, he said.

“I do not believe it is the right way. If it is an Islamic jihad, it is for a very holy purpose, the leader of the struggle has to be clear, their manifesto of what is to happen after the war has to be clear, whether it will give victory for Islam. Only if all of this clear, can one go into war,” he said.

Admitting to growing radicalisation in the Maldives, Shaheem said the media and scholars must help the government in its effort to educate the public.

Radicalisation begins with praying in separate communities, refusing to register marriages at court, and declaring other Muslims infidels, Shaheem said.

In February, the government shut down the Dharumavantha Rasgefaanu mosque to stop unauthorised Friday prayers by a group described as “extremists”

According to local media, the congregation prayed to Allah to weaken and current government and its leaders and prayed for ill-health and calamity to befall senior government officials, the Islamic Ministry and city council.

In May, the US State Department in the 2013 country report on terrorism said the Maldivian government believes that funds are being raised in the country to support terrorism abroad. However, the Maldives Monetary Authority denied the claim in a subsequent press release.

Likes(0)Dislikes(0)

No redress, no compensation, no reconciliation

Describing a beating at Maafushi Jail, musician Abdulla Easa said: “Sometimes I felt I was floating, suspended in mid air, going from one officer’s boots to the other.”

Easa was tortured simply for refusing to stand in queue for flatbread.

Prisoner testimonies indicate torture and ill treatment has been widespread and systematic in Maldivian jails.

Officers tortured inmates “just for fun,” said Easa. “For example, when they went out for a swim, they would call out to anyone they liked, “you come.” They would make us kneel down, they would bury you half in the sand, burn you with cigarettes.”

Former journalist Abdulla ‘Fahala’ Saeed, said he saw security officers rip both the clothes and the skin off of one man when they pulled him out after burying him in the sand.

“One morning, a person named ‘Kelaa’ Areef was taken to the beach and half buried in the sand so he could not move at all. At some time he started reciting the Shahadha, saying that he was going to die, then one of the officers said, ‘He is now ‘dhonvefa’ [heated up] Time to take him out’.”

Then two of them held him under his arms and pulled him out, ripping off his clothes and ripping his skin [on sharp coral sand]. He was all bloody. He was unconscious. Then they threw him in the cell.”

Both Easa and Saeed have claimed they saw people die in jail from the torture they receieved.

No redress

But to date, no survivors or families of victims in the Maldives have received any redress or compensation, and there has been no effort at reconciliation at the national level.

Ten years have passed since the Maldives signed the UN Convention Against Torture.

The Torture Victims Association say survivors have no confidence in a “politicised and incompetent judiciary” and are waiting on judicial reform to pursue justice.

Human Rights Commission of the Maldives (HRCM) member Jeehan Mahmoud said difficulties in substantiating claims of torture and a state tendency to protect the accused over the victim have constrained efforts at redress.

However, the recently ratified Anti Torture Act – which heavily penalises torture and assures compensation for victims – is a “big encouragement” to end such practices, she said.

Proving that an individual officer committed acts of torture beyond reasonable doubt may be difficult, but state institutions must he held accountable, Jeehan said, adding that the Maldives needs a reconciliation effort to end a culture of impunity and ensure non recurrence.

No confidence

The TVA has collected 125 statements of torture, and submitted 25 cases to the HRCM on February 6, 2012 – the day before the controversial resignation of President Mohamed Nasheed, himself a well-publicised victim of torture during his time as a pro-democracy activist.

President of TVA Ahmed Naseem said survivors do not believe they will get justice with the present judiciary.

“After all they went through, all the humiliation they suffered, if the courts say this is nonsense, then they will be in a worse situation than before. They will go nuts. We cannot take chances. We cannot afford to humiliate them,” said Naseem.

“People still have nightmares, people’s lives have been destroyed, families have been broken. We cannot let these people down. So we have to wait,” he added.

Naseem suggested enough evidence existed to hold state institutions accountable. The former National Security Services had a punishment book or ‘Adhabu Foi’ which contained details of state sanctioned torture, he said.

But with the return of former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom’s party to power, there is no longer any political will to address the past, Naseem said. “The culprits are in government now.”

Vice President Dr Mohamed Jameel Ahmed, during a UN Human Rights Council in 2012, admitted to a history of torture, but said: “As a government we believe we have an independent judiciary. We leave it to the victims to invoke these instances before a court of law.”

The government cannot afford compensation for victims, said Dr Jameel – then Home Minister.

The UNHRC has urged the Maldives to set up an Independent Commission of Inquiry to conduct criminal investigations and ensure compensation for all victims of torture.

In defense of the accused

The Maldives Police Services is the only institution in the country with a forensics laboratory, but the HRCM is unable to use forensics services when the police is the institution that stands accused of torture, Jeehan said.

The state hires and pays lawyer fees on behalf of the accused, and refuses to take disciplinary measures such as suspension until investigations are complete.

“The system does not work to protect the victim. Even simple steps, such as suspending the accused until investigations are complete could show the government’s commitment to end torture and brutality.”

The state’s defense of the accused deters witnesses from the accused institution from coming forward, Jeehan continued.

“They are not protected from bullying within the institution either. Documents are lost – and witness statements by all officers match up word to word. The only evidence then are the statements by civilians who saw brutality. With this imbalance, getting redress is a difficult task.”

Former Police Integrity Commission (PIC) President Shahindha Ismail has also said the Maldives Police Services tends to protect its employees when they are accused of brutality.

“There have been cases where evidence has been tampered with. This shows the police, as an institution, does not want to end this culture of brutality. It appears to promote it instead,” she said.

Shahindha also said limited resources and limited powers hamper the state’s independent institutions, noting that the PIC cannot take direct disciplinary action against a police officer accused of human rights violations.

“There is no political will to end torture. Despite a hiatus in police brutality from period 2009- 2011, the culture of brutality was never erased within the institution,” she said.

Shahindha has called on the government to purge employees accused of torture.

Reconciliation

Jeehan said state institutions must recognise victims of torture and offer them compensation, noting that failure to prove torture in the courtroom only exacerbates impunity and a lack of confidence in institutions.

The state must begin public interest litigation on behalf of multiple victims of torture and start a reconciliation effort, she said.

“With civil compensation, even though individuals may not be held accountable, the state institution will be held accountable. It would constitute some form of recognition for the victim, that the act of violence indeed did happen.”

She called for reconciliation mechanisms that allow both perpetrators and victims to deal with the past, as well as acknowledging the suffering caused on a national level.

“It allows society to move on, provides political stability and social coherence. It is a platform that allows society to resolve differences and hold discussions.”

“The younger generations still do not know what had happened in their history – it will provide them with answers. Social coherence cannot exist with all of these unresolved questions,” said Jeehan

Shahindha said judicial reform and political will is required for victims to receive justice.

“This may take a long time. Time for mature politics to be established in the country. Until then, the victims remain victims, caged in their trauma. They cannot be termed survivors until they receive redress.”

The UN Special Rapporteur for Independence of Judges and Lawyers Gabriela Knaul in a 2013 report said unless serious human rights violations of Maldives’ authoritarian past are addressed, there could be more instability and unrest in the country.

“Impunity affects democracy, the rule of law, and the enjoyment of human rights in a radical way, and undermines the people’s trust in state institutions,” read the report.

“States bear a responsibility not only to investigate violations of human rights, but also to ensure the right of victims to know the truth, to provide adequate reparation and to take all reasonable steps to ensure non-recurrence of the said violations. Addressing past violations could help the Maldives move forward and develop the justice system intended in the Constitution of 2008.”

Watch Esa’s testimony here. Watch Saeed’s testimony here.

Likes(0)Dislikes(0)

JSC decision on Judge Ali Hameed’s sex tape scandal “an insult to Islam”

The Judicial Service Commission’s (JSC) decision to clear Supreme Court Judge Ali Hameed of misconduct in a sex tape scandal is “an insult to Islam,” and against principles of Islamic jurisprudence, critics have said.

The judicial watchdog yesterday ruled Hameed innocent, claiming it can only take disciplinary action if there is sufficient evidence to indict Hameed in a court as per the Islamic Shariah and Maldivian law.

The JSC justified its ruling on a police decision to close investigations after failing to gain new evidence.

The JSC member representing the public Sheikh Shuaib Abdul Rahman said the JSC had contravened Islamic principles in its decision.

“This is a misconduct case. Not a criminal case. Under Islamic fiqh (jurisprudence), misconduct complaints require less evidence than criminal and civil complaints. Judges can be dismissed if there’s too many public complaints against him,” he said.

“I believe there is enough evidence to take action,” he added.

Meanwhile, former JSC member and whistleblower Aishath Velezinee characterized the JSC decision as “the ultimate insult to Islam and Maldivian society.”

“This is a judiciary that sentences underage rape victims to be flogged. When they decide a Supreme Court judge, after being seen in a video that has gone viral, having illicit sex with multiple women, is not guilty of misconduct, what more can we say?”

Velezinee called on the public to protest, stating the decision shows the judiciary does not understand the law or the Shariah. Public silence on the matter will only allow the judiciary to “make a scandal of justice,” she added.

“To allow the Supreme Court, without protest, to decide any matter that affects you is to accept Ali Hameed has a right to judge for you. Protest!”

Ali Hameed is also accused of several counts of corruption and has been implicated in a separate tape where he appears to admit to a role in the fall of former President Mohamed Nasheed.

Criminal

Several lawyers have echoed Shuaib’s concerns arguing the JSC does not have to follow the stringent standards used in a criminal trial in a case of misconduct.

“The JSC inquiry is not a criminal trial. They do not have to prove it by the standards employed in criminal proceedings. Their task is not to see if a judge is guilty beyond reasonable doubt. The JSC inquiry is about misconduct, it is a disciplinary issue,” lawyer and former Minister of Youth and Sports Hassan Latheef said.

UN Special Rapporteur on Independence of Judges and Lawyers, Gabriela Knaul, in a 2013 report, also said disciplinary or administrative investigations entail different penalties than those arising from criminal procedures.

“Judges and magistrates, as well as other actors of the justice system are criminally accountable for their actions. Criminal actions entail consequences and penalties that are different from those resulting from disciplinary or administrative investigations,” said Knaul.

Latheef said judges must have public confidence, and Ali Hameed should have voluntarily resigned when the tapes were first leaked on social media in 2013.

“Islamic Sharia says all judges must have public confidence. Anyone who is perceived otherwise, cannot be a judge. A judge cannot be open to blackmail,” he added.

Latheef also called on the police to continue with investigations and said the police’s decision to file the case must be looked into.

According to local media, the investigation had stalled after the Criminal Court refused to provide a warrant to obtain a facial photograph of Ali Hameed and another to search his residence.

Political decision

Former Attorney General Husnu Al Suood also said the JSC had not complied with procedures in its conclusion and accused the commission of political bias.

Suood was appointed to a JSC subcommittee to investigate the case in December, but was expelled in January after the Supreme Court called for his removal after finding him guilty of contempt of court.

“I don’t think JSC has complied with existing procedures when they concluded this matter. This is a decision that needs to be revisited when the JSC is free from executive and judicial influence,” he said.

“JSC is under the full control of the executive. It doesn’t function independently, as envisaged in the constitution,” he added.

In Knaul’s report, she stated there was near unanimous consensus during her visit that the composition of the JSC – which draws members from sources outside the judiciary, such as the parliament, lawyers, and civil service commission – was “inadequate and politicized.”

“Because of this politicization, the commission has allegedly been subjected to all sorts of external influence and has consequently been unable to function properly,” said Knaul.

Suood claimed President Abdulla Yameen is at present working to fix the JSC membership in the coming term.

Opposition MP Ahmed Hamza was removed from the JSC in January after he announced his decision to run for the March parliamentary polls.

Meanwhile, the Supreme Court this week ruled any individual licensed as a lawyer, including judges and MPs, can vote to elect a member from the lawyer community to the commission.

Lawyers have spoken against the matter, arguing the decision compromised the independence of the legal profession.

Likes(0)Dislikes(0)

Supreme Court Judge Ali Hameed cleared of misconduct in sex tape scandal

The Judicial Services Commission has today cleared Supreme Court Judge Ali Hameed of misconduct charges, citing lack of evidence to indict him in a court for alleged appearance in three sex tapes involving three different foreign women.

The accused must be presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt, said the judicial watchdog, which claimed it cannot take disciplinary action against a judge without “enough evidence.”

The JSC also cited the police’s Forensic Service Directorate’s failure to confirm the identity of the man involved in the sex tapes in its decision to clear Hameed of charges.

In it’s ruling, the JSC noted the following:

  • The police had closed investigations until new evidence emerged
  • The police had collected the sex tapes during an investigation into an attempt to blackmail a judge
  • The tape may constitute an act of espionage as it appears to have been filmed by an unauthorised body and it is against the constitution to obtain evidence by unlawful means
  • Supreme Court’s ruling on former Civil Service Commission President Mohamed Fahmy Hassan states disciplinary action can only be taken with sufficient evidence

Sex scandal

The Maldives Police Services formally launched an investigation in July 2013 after still images of the sex tape, alleged to show the judge committing adultery with an unidentified foreign woman, began circulating on social media.

At the time, the JSC voted not to suspend Hameed, citing lack of evidence.

Shortly afterwards, two more videos appearing to show Hameed engaging in sexual relations with two more foreign women were leaked on social media.

Business tycoon and former JSC member Gasim Ibrahim in July dismissed the sex tape as fake and an attempt at blackmail.

Gasim placed third in the first round of presidential polls in September and asked the High Court to annul the first round of polls.

The Supreme Court took over the case and ordered a revote claiming widespread vote fraud,with Hameed one of the four judges forming the majority verdict.

Images and symbols depicting scenes from the sex-tape formed a prominent part of protests against the court’s repeated interference in the subsequent round of polls.

Hameed also voted to unseat two opposition MPs over a case of decreed debt, and voted to remove Elections Commission President Fuwad Thowfeek and his deputy Ahmed Fayaz for alleged contempt of court.

Systematic failure

In December, Superintendent Abdulla Nawaz said police investigation had stalled as police were unable to ascertain the identity of the man in the sex tapes.

At the time, local media Haveeru suggested the police had been unable to proceed with investigations due to the Criminal Court’s refusal to provide two key warrants in September.

The warrants reportedly include a warrant to take a facial photograph of Hameed and another to search his residence.

A second JSC sub-committee to investigate the matter asked for the judge’s suspension, but JSC President Adam Mohamed refused to put the suspension to a commission vote.

The now defunct Maldives Bar Association in April also called for the suspension of Hameed until investigations were complete.

“Given the serious nature of allegations against Ali Hameed, that the judge continues to hold trial contravenes norms of justice, conduct of judges, and established norms by which free and democratic societies deal with cases of this nature,” the statement read.

In May, the police closed investigations and said it would only open the case if it receives new information.

“Yameen’s back-up”

The room and date stamp in the sex tapes appear to be the same as that in previously leaked footage of Hameed meeting a local businessman Mohamed Saeed, the director of ‘Golden Lane’.

In that video, Hameed asserts that he was one of then Progressive Party of the Maldives (PPM) presidential candidate Abdulla Yameen’s “back-ups”, and that his stand was “to do things the way Yameen wants”.

Yameen narrowly won the presidential election with Gasim’s backing.

“Even [ex Speaker of Parliament] Abdulla Shahid will know very well that my stand is to do things the way Yameen wants. That the fall of this government was brought with our participation,” he appears to add, although the audio quality is poor (01:49).

One of the men claims to have heard plans to “kill off” leader of former Dhivehi Rayithunge Party (DRP) leader Ahmed Thasmeen Ali and refers to a “second person to be killed,” however, due to the unclear audio it is not clear what the parties are referring to, or the context of the “killing”.

The person believed to be Hameed then promises, “If it comes into my hands, I will kill him off.”

Corruption charges

The Prosecutor General’s Office in April also filed corruption charges against Hameed over illegal transfer of credit from his state- funded mobile phone in 2010.

However, the Criminal Court in May claimed case files had been destroyed in a coffee spill.

The case against Justice Hameed – accused of abuse of authority to benefit a third party – was sent to the PG office in July 2013 by the Anti-Corruption Commission after investigating allegations in the 2010 audit report of the Department of Judicial Administration.

Auditors found MVR2,223 (US$144) was transferred Justice Hameed’s state-funded mobile phone on different occasions during 2010.

Other cases

Meanwhile, the 2010 audit also discovered that MVR13,200 (US$856) was spent out of the apex court’s budget to repair a state-owned car used by an unnamed Supreme Court Justice, later revealed in the media to be Justice Hameed.

According to the police report cited by auditors, the driver of the justice’s car was responsible for the accident, which occurred on January 23, 2011.

However, the official driver insisted the car was undamaged when he parked and left it the previous night.

Despite the findings of the audit report, in March 2011 the Supreme Court dismissed allegations of corruption reported in local media regarding phone allowances and use of court funds to repair Justice Hameed’s car.

Moreover, in September 2011, the ACC began investigating allegations that over MVR50,000 (US$3,200) of state funds was spent on plane tickets for Justice Hameed’s official visit to China in December 2010.

The complainant alleged that Hameed also visited Sri Lanka and Malaysia both before and after his trip to China to attend a conference by the International Council of Jurists. A return ticket on a direct flight from Malé to Beijing at time cost MVR16,686 (US$1,080).

Furthermore, in May 2012, the ACC revealed that Justice Hameed was among three sitting judges illegally occupying state-owned apartments.

Likes(0)Dislikes(0)

Government seeks US$600 million from China and Japan for airport development

The government of Maldives is in talks with the Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC) and China Exim Bank to secure a US$600 million for airport development.

Tourism Minister Ahmed Adeeb said the government is seeking US$200 million from JBIC and US$400 million from China’s Exim Bank to develop a terminal and runway respectively.

Sinagpore’s Changi Airport Group will be hired as consultants as they are better qualified to work with Chinese and Japanese contractors, he added.

The government is in the process of finalising an agreement with Changi, he said.

Speaking to the press on Tuesday, Adeeb said he does not expect a Singaporean tribunal’s ruling ordering the government to pay damages to former airport developer GMR Infrastructure for wrongful termination to affect the government’s new plans.

In abruptly terminating the contract, the government had chosen to protect the country’s multibillion-dollar tourism sector, Adeeb said. He claimed major airlines had threatened to cease operations in the Maldives following the GMR takeover – a move that may have led to collapse of tourism.

Compensation

Adeeb has dismissed opposition fears of an imminent sovereign debt crisis if forced to pay GMR’s initial claim of US$ 1.4 billion, repeatedly stating the government has the capacity to pay compensation.

“God willing, our airport will be developed. Our economy will grow with the special economic zone bill, and our government will become rich, we will overcome our budget deficit and god willing we will be able to pay any amount we have to,” he said.

Adeeb also said the arbitration tribunal had ruled out the US$1.4 billion claim as a large percentage of the claim is business opportunity losses.

The exact amount of compensation is to be set in a second phase of arbitration and will factor in concession fees and the amount GMR invested in INIA.

President Abdulla Yameen has previously predicted compensation to be approximately US$300 million, while former Attorney General Azima Shakoor in 2012 said the figure may be as high as US$700 million.

The World Bank in December said GMR’s compensation will place severe pressure on the country’s already “critically low” reserves.

As of April 2014, the Maldives’ gross foreign reserve stood at US$434.8 million, while total outstanding debt at the end of 2013 stood at US$793.6 million dollars.

GMR or tourism?

The concession agreement was “lopsided,” “biased” and negatively affected airline operations in the Maldives, Adeeb said.

“[I]t was either tourism or GMR contract. Only one of them would survive in the Maldives. Airlines were complaining, some airlines were moving out – as you know, for big airlines like Qatar, it is no big deal for them to stop operations here. For them, this is a very small market. If airlines stop operations, a country’s tourism will go bankrupt. We have seen the decline to tourism in Seychelles and Mauritius. We had to take action,” he said.

“IATA research shows seat capacity from Europe decreased from 2010 – 2012, and it was not affordable for charter airlines to fly to the Maldives. They were increasing fuel prices, by week, by month, for big scheduled airlines, without considering world prices, because they had a monopoly. Due to the agreement, there was nothing the government could do,” he added.

However, a 2013 Auditor General report presented a “mixed picture”, stating only Sri Lankan airlines definitively ceased refueling due to increased price of fuel.

Adeeb said he believed airport infrastructure are tourism investments, and pledged to integrate tourism and regional airport development.

“We want responsible investors, not just investors,” he said, adding that the government will sue former government officials who have caused losses to the government through lopsided business contracts.

Likes(0)Dislikes(0)

Home Ministry dissolves Bar Association

The Ministry of Home Affairs has dissolved the Maldives Bar Association (MBA) for failure to change its name as per a Supreme Court ruling and appoint a governing committee.

A Home Ministry letter also said the organisation had failed to submit an annual report as per regulations.

The Bar Association – formed in April 2013 to empower, lobby, and advocate on behalf of legal practitioners – is headed by veteran lawyer and former Attorney General Husnu Al Suood.

On April 9, Supreme Court told the Home Ministry to ask the organisation to change its name within 14 days, claiming the Bar Association title could only be used for an official  body regulated by law with the participation of the entire legal community and judicial sector.

Speaking to Minivan News, Suood he believed the government had dissolved the Bar Association claiming it posed a threat to national security.

“We are aware that one of the reasons for dissolving the Bar Association is that it poses a threat to national security and sovereignty of the Maldives as per national security intelligence,” he said.

Suood said the organisation would challenge the Home Ministry’s decision at court and condemned the limited space for civil society in the Maldives.

“We feel that there is no space for civil society in the Maldives. It has come to our knowledge that the Home Ministry has temporarily suspended registration of NGOs until they have received legal opinion from the Attorney General’s Office,” he added.

The Bar Association had refused to change its name, but said it would step aside should new legislation on the legal profession provide for a Bar Council.

A 2013 UN report recommended that a “self-regulating independent bar association or council” be established to oversee the legal profession.

Suood noted that the MBA currently has over one hundred members, representing around one fifth of the country’s practising lawyers, with a full membership drive waiting until new legislation is completed.

The Supreme Court’s initial letter to the Home Ministry came in the aftermath of a Bar Association statement calling for the suspension of Supreme Court Judge Ali Hameed pending an investigation into the judge’s alleged appearance in a series of sex tapes.

Hameed’s continued presence on the Supreme Court bench contravenes the Islamic Shariah and the norms of justice, the organization said.

“Given the serious nature of the allegations against Ali Hameed, that the judge continues to hold trial contravenes norms of justice, conduct of judges, and established norms by which free and democratic societies deal with cases of this nature,” the statement read.

Suood was on a watchdog Judicial Service Commission’s sub committee to investigate the matter. The Supreme Court had suspended Suood from practicing law in January for alleged contempt of court.

Meanwhile, lawyer and former Minister of Youth and Sports Hassan Latheef condemned the Home Ministry’s decision as a violation of the right to freedom of association.

“I believe this is an attempt to stop us lawyers from advocating in our defense,” he added.

Likes(0)Dislikes(0)

Pneumonia patient dies on sea ambulance en route to Malé

A 31-year-old woman diagnosed with pneumonia has died on the sea ambulance en route to Malé on Sunday night.

Fathimath Naeem of Faafu Atoll Nilandhoo Island died at 10:30, approximately 30 minutes after a sea ambulance left Nilandhoo, the island’s council has said.

Fathimath is survived by her husband and a five-year-old daughter.

A pregnant woman also gave birth on a Nilandhoo street while waiting for the same sea ambulance, the council said. Both the mother and child are in good health, the Faafu Atoll Nilandhoo Hospital has said.

President Abdulla Yameen’s administration introduced sea ambulance services in May to provide emergency transportation from all inhabited islands in the country.

There are no sea ambulances stationed at Faafu Atoll and the atoll’s islands use neighboring Dhaal Atoll’s speedboat. According to the island council, the hospital had called for a sea ambulance at midday, but the speedboat only arrived at 10pm.

According to Nilandhoo Council President Ahmed Ali, health services at Faafu Atoll Hospital are poor. He also said pregnant women routinely go to Malé to give birth, as there are no gynecologists, surgeons or anesthetists at the hospital.

The sea ambulance incident is the latest in a series of service failures in recent weeks.

The Health Ministry appealed to island councils to refrain from criticising health services, claiming councils were spreading false information in the media.

The ministry said such claims lead to a loss in confidence in health services and said it did not have the required budgetary support to buy new equipment and renovate health posts.

On Saturday, northern Haa Dhaal Atoll Kulhudhuffushi islanders held a protest over deteriorated healthcare conditions in the region.

The Haa Dhaal council released a statement expressing concern over “comatose” health services and condemned a severe lack of doctors, equipment and facilities at the regional hospital.

The council said a woman had to be flown to Malé to sew up a cut to the vagina during childbirth and an infant suffered damages to the head during a caesarean.

“The council calls on the Ministry of Health and all relevant authorities to recruit two more gynecologists, a physician, a cardiologist, ultra sound scanning machine, an x-ray machine, 4 ECD machines, two fetal Doppler and adequate supplies for and facilities in the twelve health centers in Haa Dhaal Atoll,” the statement read.

In response, Shakeela told regional newspaper Kulhudhuffushi Online work is underway to improve regional health facilities and said the ministry is recruiting doctors to staff regional hospitals.

The Health Ministry is also in the process of purchasing a new x-ray machine and laboratory equipment for the Kulhudhuffushi hospital, she said. But the process will take time, as equipment is imported from abroad, she added.

The government in May announced it is seeking 225 additional doctors, and said it will place 91 medial officers in health centers across the country.

On June 3, councilors of the southern Fuvahmulah Island held a press conference blasting Health Minister Dr Mariyam Shakeela for “worsening conditions” at the hospital after a case of stillbirth and the death of a soldier on the island.

In February, the Indhira Gandhi Memorial Hospital in Malé transfused HIV positive blood to a patient due to an alleged technical error.

Likes(0)Dislikes(0)

Kulhudhuffushi protests over “comatose” regional health service

Over 300 islanders staged a protest on Saturday on northern Haa Dhaal Kulhudhuffushi Island over deteriorating regional health services.

Protesters called for Health Minister Dr Mariyam Shakeela’s resignation outside the Kulhudhuffushi Regional Hospital, claiming services have deteriorated to “conditions never seen before in recent history.”

Kulhudhuffushi Island Council President Ali Mohamed said the hospital served over 60,000 people in the region, but lacked doctors and equipment.

Following the protest, doctors at the hospital refused to work today claiming they lacked an environment conducive for work. However, they resumed work at 10:30 am after the Kulhudhuffushi Island Council and Haa Dhaal Atoll Council intervened.

Meanwhile, the Haa Dhaal Atoll Council issued a statement on Thursday condemning “comatose” health care service at the hospital and warned it will hold serial protests until grievances are addressed.

In recent weeks, a woman had to be flown to Malé when doctors could not sew up an episiotomy following labor, an infant suffered damages to the head during a caesarean, and a child was stillborn despite routine checkups, the council claimed.

The Kulhudhuffushi regional hospital has not had a physician for seven months, and has only one gynecologist. Three gynecologists are needed to serve the northern atoll’s population, the council said.

The council also highlighted a severe lack of facilities on the island. The hospital has a dentist, but the dental chair has been broken for two years and three years have passed since the x-ray machine broke down, the council said.

Further, lack of antibiotic discs for culture and thyroid tests and lack of laboratory chemicals have hampered the hospital’s ability to conduct medical tests, the council said.

Healthcare infrastructure is dilapidated, surtains are old and hospital bedding is torn, the council said.

The state had only allocated MVR 1200 (US$ 77.8) for cleaning supplies for the year. When the funds are divided among the 13 islands, each health center receives MVR 7.69 per month (US$ 0.5) or enough to buy two bars of soap every month, the council said.

“The council calls on the Ministry of Health and all relevant authorities to recruit two more gynecologists, a physician, a cardiologist, ultra sound scanning machine, an x-ray machine, 4 ECD machines, two fetal Doppler and adequate supplies for and facilities in the twelve health centers in Haa Dhaal Atoll,” the statement read.

The council also claimed Shakeela had not failed to respond to repeated requests for a meeting.

In response, Shakeela told regional newspaper Kulhudhuffushi Online work is underway to improve regional health facilities and said the ministry is recruiting doctors to staff regional hospitals.

The Health Ministry is also in the process of purchasing a new x-ray machine and laboratory equipment for the Kulhudhuffushi hospital, she said. But the process will take time, as equipment is imported from abroad, she added.

The government in May announced it is seeking 225 additional doctors, and said it will place 91 medial officers in health centers across the country.

The Health Ministry has been under fire in recent weeks following a series of health scares.

On June 3, councilors of southern Fuvahmulah Island held a press conference blasting Shakeela for “worsening conditions” at the hospital.

Councilors alleged negligence in a series of medical incidents including a case of stillbirth and the death of a soldier on the island.

In February, the Indhira Gandhi Memorial Hospital in Malé transfused HIV positive blood to a patient due to an alleged technical error.

Likes(1)Dislikes(0)

Artificial reef building offers hope as super El Niño looms

In the turquoise lagoon of Banyan Tree Vabbinfaru, Moosa Shan dove down and cleared sand from a large block of cement. There, he placed several balls of marine cement and attached broken fragments of live coral. The balls would harden within hours and provide a critical stable base for coral growth.

Vabbinfaru’s shallow lagoon is dotted with coral gardens of all ages. The oldest garden has been there for fifteen years. The small fragments have now flourished into a vibrant colony, with ornamental fish darting amongst thorny branches and iridescent blue clams visible in the crevices of boulder corals.

The Banyan Tree hotel chain pioneered coral propagation or artificial reef building in the Maldives following a mass coral die off in 1998.

That year, the global El Niño weather event warmed Maldivian waters to 33 degrees Celsius, resulting in coral polyps expelling the algae living in their tissues and bleaching white. The algae provide the polyps with its food, and polyps died after a prolonged period without food.

Over 90 percent of Maldivian reefs died in the 1998 bleaching event.

In May, scientists have predicted an El Niño event comparable to 1998 levels for 2014 and 2015 which could spell disaster for the Maldives’ reefs.

‘The idea that this wondrous ecosystem may just die out in front of your eyes – I cannot really fathom it. If an El Niño occurs, there’s really nothing you can do to prevent coral death,” said Moosa, a conservationist at Banyan Tree.

Marine biologist Alexia Pihier at consulting company Seamarc said scientists have predicted a 70 percent chance of a strong El Niño event developing in the coming months.

If a strong El Niño develops, the Maldives may see bleaching starting in December and peaking in March 2015, she said.

“We are very worried. We are monitoring data from atmospheric scientists closely. There is uncertainty. But if it happens, there is not much we can do,” she said.

Artificial reef building

In the event of massive coral die-off, coral propagation methods practiced in the Maldives, on Banyan Tree Vabbinfaru and by Seamarc on Four Seasons Resorts at Kuda Huraa and Landagiraavaru Islands, offer a glimmer of hope.

According to Moosa, over 90 percent of Vabbinfaru’s reef died in 1998. But sixteen years later, with careful management, the reef has bounced back.

Vabbinfaru’s coral reef today is a kaleidoscope of colors. Among terraced table corals, schools of multi-colored fish roam, as larger fish and strong-jawed eels peek out from coral overhangs.

Moosa and his team dive every few weeks to remove coral predators, including the prickly crown-of-thorns starfish.

In 2001, the Banyan Tree Marine Center also sunk a giant lotus-shaped metal structure on the reef slope. Naturally broken pieces of coral were tied with cable ties to the latticed lotus.

The lotus was then connected to a power source on the shore. Low voltage electricity was run through the structure to help white limestone accrue around the metal. Over the years, coral larvae have settled and grown on the clean limestone rock.

Today, the lotus is an underwater amazement. On any given day, divers and snorkelers can see spotted eagle rays and black tipped reef sharks near the structure.

Between 70 and 90 percent of transplanted corals, both on the lotus and coral gardens have survived, explained Moosa.

In 2005, on both Kuda Huraa and Landagiraavaru, Seamarc developed an artificial reef system of interlinked metal coral trays. Coral fragments were tied to the frames and, within two years, the frames produced a full reef effect.

“Once the damage is done, the frames are a method of rebuilding the reef. It also increases biodiversity and improves the overall reef health,” Seamarc’s chief scientist Thomas Leberre said.

Leberre believes artificial reef building to be a viable option for reefs throughout the Maldives in the event of large-scale coral bleaching.

Climate change and human damage

Thomas also said minor coral bleaching events, such as that of 2010 which accompanied a minor El Niño, would better prepare corals for warmer temperatures associated with global warming.

Both the algae and coral polyps could adapt if the warming rate is gradual, he said.

“However, the fear here is that the rate of change may be faster than the rate of adaptability,” he said.

Recent studies suggest that while the overall number of El Niño is unlikely to increase, particularly strong “super El Niños” are likely to occur twice as frequently in a warming world.

Noting that healthier reefs are able to recover faster from bleaching, both Alexia and Moosa have urged Maldivians to limit damage to the reefs.

A 2013 study by conservation organisation Reef Check found local environmental pollution to have suppressed recovery from the catastrophic bleaching event of 1998.

Human activities such as “tourism, reef fishing, coral mining, dredging, reclamation and the construction of maritime structures and pollution represent most impacts on coral reefs,” the study found.

“Protecting the reef starts from the shoreline. We need better waste management and safer disposal of waste to limit reef damage,” said Moosa.

This article is part of an environmental journalism project supported by Banyan Tree Maldives.

Likes(0)Dislikes(0)