Author: Shafaa Hameed

Arrested journalists freed but may still be charged

Three journalists who were arrested during a protest last Wednesday have been released, but may still face charges.

Police detained the three, two from Raajje TV and another from Channel One, for “obstructing police business”. They were released on Monday evening after five days in custody, but a police media official said they could still be charged.

“If they get enough evidence to support a case we will forward the case to the prosecutor general. We will not make exceptions for journalists,” he said.

Raajje TV has condemned the arrests, saying the journalists were just doing their jobs.

Adam Zareer, a Raajje TV cameraman who was held, told Minivan News of his arrest: “All I heard was some saying ‘Take him!’ and then suddenly I was being dragged away with my camera and mic. They did not tell me why I was being arrested.”

Mohamed Wisam, also from Raajje TV, told Minivan News: “When our cameraman was being arrested, I asked the police why he was being arrested. Then they said, ‘Okay, you’re obstructing us now,’ and then they arrested me.”

Local media had reported Zareer was held for refusing to switch off his camera light, but he said this was not correct. Police had complained about the light on a previous evening, and Zareer had moved away, but the light was not an issue on the evening of his arrest.

Mohamed Niyaz, a journalist from Channel One, was also held.

All three were taken to Dhoonidhoo detention center and strip-searched.

“We are not criminals or dangers to society. However, we report about such people and when we were put in the same cell block as them, it was quite frightening for us,” said Wisam.

In a court hearing, police said the three had been detained because they were pushing past barricaded areas and pushing the shields of Special Operations officers. The journalists denied the claim and said they had been carrying press passes.

Raajje TV, whose office has previously been attacked, said last week it was standing by its reporters.

The arrests follow a series of attacks on journalists that have given rise to concerns over press freedom.

In August 2014, Minivan News journalist Ahmed Rilwan went missing; he has still not been found. Four arrests were initially made, but all of the suspects were released and authorities have not reported any further progress in the case.

Another journalist, Ibrahim “Asward” Waheed, nearly died after being assaulted with iron rods in February 2013. His case is still ongoing in court.

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Gasim’s company requests delay to $100m fine

Politician Gasim Ibrahim’s Villa Group has asked to delay payment of a $100million payment for fines and rent levied by the government on a series of island and lagoon leases, Haveeru reports.

The government has been seeking to end agreements with Villa over the leases, and said in February the group of companies owed them USD 100 million (MVR 1.5 billion) to be paid within 30 days.

Villa has also requested a suspension of the Tourism Ministry’s order to terminate the lease agreements, and has filed ten lawsuits over the termination of deals related to six uninhabited islands.

The civil court had earlier granted a hold on the termination notices, but this was rescinded after an appeal.

Villa last week said that it still had four years left to develop the islands under the original contracts, and therefore it  did not believe it should have to pay the fines before that time.

The fine was levied after Gasim and his Jumhooree Party left the ruling coalition and allied with the opposition Maldivian Democratic Party, taking part in a series of protests which began on February 10th.

“Even though Gasim has not been put behind prison bars, the government has economically paralysed him,” Ameen Ibrahim, deputy leader of the Jumhooree Party, said earlier this month.

Speaking at the same press conference, Adhaalath Party president Sheikh Imran Abdulla accused the government of planning to seize all of Gasim’s assets and making sure he was “unable to move his hands or legs” in his defence.

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Youth movement calls for change after Earth Hour axed

A movement representing Maldivian youth has raised the alarm over a lack of arts and creative opportunities after the government cancelled plans for Earth Hour celebrations.

“Without proper preventive measures, we would see a decline in creativity and expression, as well as freedom of assembly and celebration of global causes,” Dhi Youth Movement, a non-governmental organisation, said in a statement.

Young Maldivians had planned to mark Earth Hour, an annual environmental campaign, with a music show and other celebrations in Male’ on Saturday but the government banned the events on security grounds after a spate of stabbings in the capital.

“We would also like to express our disappointment with government’s decision to cancel the Earth Hour celebrations on perceived potential security concerns,” said DYM.

Despite the ban, a 29-year-old man died after being stabbed outside the Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital, one of the busiest hospitals in the city, on Saturday night, in the fourth murder so far this year. No one has so far been arrested over the crime.

“As witnessed by last night’s crime, we have reconfirmed that crime happens regardless of whether or not the lights are on, even in front of police stations and hospitals,”  DYM said.

People who had planned to attend the celebrations expressed their discontent online.

“Yesterday, government stopped a bunch of people from making a prayer for President Nasheed after the Friday congregational prayer. Today it prohibited holding Earth Hour events for ‘security reasons’. Tomorrow it’ll ban funerals,” one said.

Another commented: “Security concerns regarding violent crimes during the day time has led to the Home Ministry issuing a statement to enforce planetary laws to turn off the sun at 10am.”

A youth leader wrote: “This much crime in such a small place, is scary, but the only security threat I see is the fact that no proper proactive measures are being taken to combat them.”

Earth Hour is hosted by Earth Hour Maldives collaborating with Scouts Association of Maldives, who outsourced the event to Empire Events, a recently established event management company. Lights are traditionally turned off for Earth Hour, while those taking part celebrate by candlelight.

Despite the event’s official cancellation, some members of the public decided to celebrate anyway.

Concerned youth and artists turned up to enjoy the hour outdoors, while children drew in chalk in a co-ordinated event at the helipad.

Young people lit candles reading “60+”, which stands for the 60 minutes of the Earth Hour.

DYM said that a fall in numbers of students enrolling in the arts stream — students can choose between arts, business and science streams aged 13 or 14 — was a sign of the declining position of arts and creativity. They called for a community where expression and art can thrive, without it involving “knives and crime”.

The group called for the government and authorities to do their best to address the root causes of the current gang violence so that temporary curfews can be lifted.

However, Dhi Youth Movement also noted that they had not been consulted on policy level discussions about youth by government bodies, and said they hoped the government would consult civil society more in decision making.

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Nasheed to sue four Criminal Court judges for defamation

Former President Mohamed Nasheed has decided to sue Criminal Chief Judge Abdulla Mohamed along with the three judges who presided over his terrorism trial for defamation.

In a press release today, the opposition leader’s legal team accused the Criminal Court of falsely claiming in the media on Thursday night (March 26) that it would release the full court report required for the High Court appeal as Nasheed had signed the transcripts.

However, the Criminal Court has yet to provide transcripts despite the legal team’s March 15 letter requesting the full case report. The court has made no move to get Nasheed to sign the transcripts, they added.

The Criminal Court found Nasheed guilty of terrorism on March 13 over the military detention of Judge Abdulla in January 2012. Many international and domestic observers have expressed concern over the rushed trial, claiming it was marred by major irregularities including the court’s refusal to call defence witnesses.

Nasheed’s lawyers and supporters last week urged the Criminal Court to release a report of case proceedings, but the court had previously blamed the delay in issuing the full report on Nasheed and his lawyers’ alleged refusal to sign statements made during court hearings.

In today’s press release, lawyers said the court had showed Nasheed a transcript of proceedings from the first hearing of the trial, but the former president refused to sign it as it did not accurately represent his statements at court.

“President Mohamed Nasheed requested amending the document by including what he said at court. But the Criminal Court has not done so to date,” lawyers explained.

The court attempted to get Nasheed to sign the transcripts on March 13, the press release continued, but Nasheed told the court officer he would sign it in the presence of his lawyers.

“The Criminal Court has been repeatedly saying that the report has been provided to us because President Nasheed has not signed it. However, the court has not made any attempt to get President Nasheed’s signature on the statements that should be included in the report,” the press release added.

The court’s subsequent claim last Thursday night that Nasheed has signed the report was therefore “a blatant lie.”

“Therefore, President Nasheed has decided to file a defamation suit at the Civil Court against Criminal Court Chief Judge Abdulla Mohamed and the three judges who presided over the case,” the press release stated.

The three judges are Judges Abdul Bari Yoosuf, Abdulla Didi and Sujau Usman.

Nasheed’s lawyers on March 26 announced the opposition leader would not seek an appeal at the High Court, stating he believed there was no opportunity for justice due to executive control of the judiciary.

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PPM calls on Adhaalath Party members to take action against Sheikh Imran

The ruling Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) has called upon members and religious scholars of the Adhaalath Party (AP) to take action against the party’s president, Sheikh Imran Abdulla.

In a press statement yesterday, the PPM condemned Imran’s alleged efforts to “defame the government” and contended that he was acting “dictatorially” without consulting either the party’s members or its council of religious scholars.

“The party’s members and scholars are revealing that [Imran’s] efforts are being carried out dictatorially after gathering all of the party’s powers in his fist,” the press release stated.

Imran advocating on behalf of a person who has “openly ridiculed” Prophet Mohamed (pbuh) and insulted Islam was “unacceptable,” the statement added, referring to former President Mohamed Nasheed’s alleged anti-Islamic remarks.

While the AP was founded for the purpose of protecting Islamic values, the PPM argued that Imran’s actions were contrary to the party’s founding principles.

After officially withdrawing support for President Abdulla Yameen’s administration, the AP formed an alliance dubbed “Maldivians against brutality” with the opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) on March 17. The alliance was formed in the wake of the sentencing of former President Mohamed Nasheed on terrorism and the arrest and prosecution of former Defence Minister Mohamed Nazim on illegal weapons smuggling.

At the time, Imran said 80 percent of the party’s council members voted in favour of the decision to withdraw support for the government. The AP leader has since been leading nightly protests against the government.

On March 16, the Adhaalath Party’s council in a statement said it had decided to bring an “end to all this brutality within the boundaries of Islamic Sharia, the constitution and laws of the Maldives.”

The party accused the government of corruption, misusing the police and military, undoing separation of powers, undermining independent institutions, encouraging drug use, undue influence over the judiciary and illicit connections with gangs.

The PPM meanwhile reiterated its argument that the opposition alliance has not been able to substantiate claims of unlawful acts or anti-Islamic behaviour on the part of the government.

Such “uncivilised” and “slanderous” allegations were intended to undermine public interest and threaten order and security, the ruling party insisted.

The PPM called on AP members and religious scholars to stand up against Imran’s “irresponsible” actions and allegations.

“While a person in the post of the party’s president is working to muddy the party’s name without showing any legal evidence, [the PPM] believes that the party’s common members and scholars have a responsibility to take action against him,” the statement read.

Asked about the PPM statement at an opposition alliance press conference this afternoon, Imran declined to comment and said the AP would issue a response.

However, in a tweet last night, Imran suggested that the PPM statement was an “omen” indicating the success of the opposition protests.

In his speech at the protest last night, Imran also said President Abdulla Yameen’s statement denying the opposition’s allegations of police “framing” former Defence Minister Mohamed Nazim and rampant corruption in the government indicated progress was being achieved through the anti-government demonstrations.

President Yameen had not issued a statement despite a month of opposition protests, he said, “but today the president has started talking.”

“Tomorrow he will come out with you to these streets to sign a peace agreement,” he said.

 

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Spike in violence against expatriate workers; two murdered, two stabbed

A 25-year old Bangladeshi national, Shaheen Mia, was stabbed to death in a Malé café in the early hours of the morning on Sunday (March 22), while a Bangladeshi national identified as Bilal was found dead in Alif Alif Atoll Thoddoo Island last night.

Speaking to Minivan News, President of Thoddoo Council Hassan Ibrahim said Bilal, estimated to be between 20 and 25 years of age, was found naked with a piece of cloth tied around his neck.

Bilal’s employer Hussein Hassan found the dead body at 9:55pm at Seenusanfaage where he had been living with three other expatriate workers. Police officers from Rasmadhoo Island arrived at 10:45pm.

“The police questioned the people living with him if there had been any disputes between the Bangladeshi and anyone. They said there had been none, as he had only come to the island very recently,” Ibrahim told Minivan News.

Bilal’s body was brought to Malé at 4:00am today.

Thoddoo Council’s Assistant Director Ali Adam said a suicide was “highly unlikely” as Bilal could not have strangled himself with a piece of cloth.

The Maldives Police Services said they have not yet determined the cause of death and have not made any arrests.

Local media have said there were injuries to Bilal’s face when his body was discovered.

Meanwhile, two expatriate workers were stabbed in Malé tonight. According to the Maldives Police Services, one worker was stabbed at 7:30pm, and another was stabbed at 7:40pm near Malé fish market.

A police media official said an Indian and a Bangladeshi were injured, and that both have been hospitalised. The circumstances of the attacks, including the nationality of attackers, are not yet clear, the police said.

Meanwhile, at approximately 4:00am on Sunday, masked men dragged Shaheen Mia out from his workplace, Lhiyanu Café, in Malé’s western harbour district, and stabbed him in the chest. The expatriate staff work and sleep in the café.

The stabbing occurred after repeated threats the previous day. According to local media, a violent confrontation had occurred between Lhiyanu Café staff and a group of young men in the early hours of Saturday morning when the expatriate workers refused to serve coffee free of charge. The group vandalised the café before they left.

The same group came to the café at 6:00pm on Saturday and allegedly threatened to burn the place down. Staff had reported all threats to the police.

According to the Bangladeshi High Commission, Shaheen’s father on receiving news of his son’s death suffered a heart attack and died. Shaheen’s mother has also been hospitalised.

Meanwhile, Home Minister Umar Naseer said the government is considering closing restaurants and cafés by 12am and closing shops by 10pm.

Over 25 expatriate workers gathered in protest near the Bangladesh High Commission on Sunday, but were sent away by the police.

Human rights group Transparency Maldives has called on the Maldives Police Services to expedite the investigation of Shaheen’s death, and urged the state to prioritise and promote rights of migrant workers.

“Migrant workers are one of the most vulnerable groups in the country today. They face huge difficulties in accessing justice and get very little support from the community at large in protecting their rights,” the NGO said.

There are over 50,000 expatriate workers in the Maldives, according to the 2014 national census.

Street violence is common amongst Malé City’s numerous gangs. There have been 11 murders since November 2013.

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Detention drove home immensity of President Nasheed’s “sacrifice,” says MDP MP Fayyaz

A 15-day incarceration at the Dhoonidhoo detention centre drove home the immensity of President Mohamed Nasheed’s sacrifices for the sake of democracy, opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) MP Fayyaz Ismail has said.

The MP for Laamu Gan was arrested during a demonstration on March 6 and held in remand detention after refusing the Criminal Court’s condition for release of not attending protests for 60 days.

“When I came home to my family upon my release, that’s when I realised what President Nasheed had sacrificed before and what he continues to sacrifice,” Fayyaz told Minivan News in an interview today.

People knew of Nasheed’s sacrifices at “an abstract level”, Fayyaz explained, but his own “personal experience” made him realise the hardship the opposition leader has been through.

“Why is he making this sacrifice? For future generations. So we need to do everything we can once again to restore a people’s government,” he said.

Prior to his election in 2008, Nasheed was imprisoned over a dozen times for dissident activities during the 30-year reign of former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom.

Fayyaz, who lives with his wife and five-year-old daughter, said his detention was the longest period he had been separated from his family.

He added that it was difficult to explain to his daughter why he had been away from home for so long.

“When they are so young, we do not want to tell them the way their authorities is acting is wrong, otherwise they will be prejudiced towards those institutions. So it was very difficult for me to tell her why her father was away for such a long time,” he said.

The MDP has been protesting in the capital every night since Nasheed’s arrest on February 22.

On March 13, the opposition leader was found guilty of ordering the military to “forcibly abduct” Criminal Court Chief Judge Abdulla Mohamed and sentenced to 13 years in prison.

Conditional release

Recalling his arrest and remand hearing, Fayyaz said police had requested the Criminal Court judge to extend his detention.

“Since I had no criminal record, the judge ordered my release with a condition of avoiding participation in protests for 60 days,” he said.

“But I refused to accept that condition. I told them protesting was a right guaranteed to me by the Constitution. When I said so, I think the judge was displeased, and he ordered for me to be locked up for another 15 days.”

Fayyaz noted that under the Constitution, an individual could only be held in custody prior to sentencing if there was either a “danger of the accused absconding or not appearing at trial, [for] the protection of the public, or danger of influencing witnesses or tampering with evidence.”

He questioned how the Criminal Court judge could decide he was “suddenly a danger to the society,” just after ordering his release on the condition of staying away from protests.

He advised others arrested during protests to refuse the conditional release and appeal the court’s decision.

“We believe that the judiciary has also been politically influenced. I do not think that anyone with a good conscience could accept that the judiciary is independent,” Fayyaz said.

“So I think the judiciary’s intention behind these conditions is to discourage protesting.”

Fayyaz also said his detention changed the way he perceived the police and gave him hope. He praised the “professionalism and kindness” shown to him by individual officers at the Dhoonidhoo Detention Center.

He suggested that the issue was with “leaders abusing the system” rather than policemen, who he said were “good people.”

Fayyaz said he had not decided to make a principled stand before appearing before the judge for the remand hearing, adding that the defiance “came naturally.”

“Even in my profession as a lawyer, we are seeing corruption and influence into these things. So in such an environment, we have to protest. If we do not protest today, tomorrow we will not be able to even talk like this,” he said.

 

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Ex-defence minister’s brother urges police to disobey police chief

Former Defence Minister Mohamed Nazim’s brother last night called on Maldives Police Services to disobey unlawful orders issued by Commissioner of Police Hussein Waheed.

Speaking at the opposition Maldivian Democratic Party’s (MDP) nightly demonstrations, Adam Azim suggested Waheed was responsible for ordering brutality and unlawful actions against the public, and said individual police officers would ultimately pay the price.

“I am advising the Maldives Police Services, your leaders will make you do wrong. Areca palms will be cut. They will make you raid people’s homes. They will make you arrest people unlawfully. They will force you to be brutal towards your own people. Then Hussain Waheed and his associates will run off and hide,” he said at a first appearance at an opposition protest.

Nazim is currently under house arrest, standing trial for smuggling illegal weapons. The former defence minister claims the pistol and three bullets police discovered at his home during the January 18 raid were planted by Specialist Operations (SO) officers on the orders of Tourism Minister Ahmed Adeeb.

The retired colonel was subsequently dismissed, and arrested on February 10 on additional charges of terrorism and treason. Azim, who was the Managing Director of State Trading Organization (STO), was also dismissed from his position on March 9.

Nazim said Adeeb had engineered the setup after he spoke out against police SWAT officers chopping down all of Malé City’s areca palms in October. The tourism minister has since dismissed the allegations.

State prosecutors in court last week said documents on a pen drive confiscated along with the weapons suggested Nazim was plotting to harm President Abdulla Yameen, Waheed and Adeeb with the financial backing of opposition Jumhooree Party (JP) Leader Gasim Ibrahim’s Villa Group and STO.

The MDP and former ruling coalition partner JP formed an alliance “in defence of the Constitution” at the same time as the police raid on Nazim’s home. Since the former defence minister’s arrest on February 10, the opposition has held nightly demonstrations.

MDP leader and former President Mohamed Nasheed was arrested on February 22, swiftly brought to trial on terrorism charges and sentenced to jail on March 13. Azim first appeared at an opposition rally on Thursday night, where he praised Nasheed, and called on the government to release all “political prisoners.”

Speaking last night to a crowd of hundreds outside the Maldives National Defence Force’s (MNDF) Kalhuthukkala Koshi (KK), Azim urged security forces to be cautious in following their superior’s orders, stating: “We know a lot of things that Hussein Waheed is responsible for.”

Azim last night also warned Waheed he would be penalised for his role in allegedly framing Nazim.

“You do not have much protection either. There will come a day when you lose your position. We will make sure of it,” he said.

“When you have status, honour and power what you are supposed to do is serve for the people with honour, pride and respect. Not brutalising your people!” he added.

Following Nazim’s arrest and trial, several key regime supporters – including MP Ahmed Mahloof and Adhaalath Party President Sheikh Imran Abdulla – have joined the opposition under the banner “Maldivians against brutality.” Defectors have accused Adeeb of corruption, links with organised crime and gangs, and intimidation of political rivals.

Mahloof at an opposition rally on Thursday night said Adeeb bought a US$80,000 BMW and$100,000 ring for the first lady on her birthday, which he said demonstrated President Yameen encouraged embezzlement of state funds.

Adeeb, at a press conference yesterday, hit back saying Mahloof was being paid to make false allegations. The MP had also failed to pay back loans borrowed from close business associates, the tourism minister alleged.

Nazim’s family, meanwhile, requested the former defence minister be flown abroad for urgent medical care. At a hearing on Thursday, lawyer Maumoon Hameed said Nazim had a life threatening medical condition.

He was recently transferred from police custody at the Dhoonidhoo Island detention centre to house arrest for health reasons.

The former defence minister played a key role in MDP leader and former President Mohamed Nasheed’s resignation half-way through his term on February 7, 2012.

Photo by @adamadeem on Twitter 

 

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MDP carries out nationwide “Maldivians for justice” protests

The opposition Maldivian Democratic Party carried out protests across the country on Friday under the banner “Maldivians for Justice,” calling for the release of former President Mohamed Nasheed.

Demonstrations took place from Haa Dhaalu Kulhudhufushi and Raa Meedhoo in the north to the Addu City in the south. Hundreds of supporters in capital Malé offered a special prayer at the Islamic Center after Friday prayers, and thousands participated in a protest march at 9:30pm.

Speaking at an opposition march for the first time, MP Ahmed Mahloof said: “Former President Nasheed is loved by thousands of Maldivians and his jailing will not bring any gain to President Yameen.”

The MP for Galolhu South was expelled from the ruling Progressive Party of Maldives for allegedly defaming President Abdulla Yameen.

Mahloof accused the government of prosecuting the opposition leader as well as former Defence Minister Mohamed Nazim in a conspiracy to eliminate political opponents.

He also praised MDP MP Ismail Fayyaz, who was arrested from a protest and is being held in remand detention after he refused to accept the Criminal Court’s condition of not participating in protests for 60 days.

A motorcycle rally took place in Kulhudhufushi in the afternoon, whilst hundreds wearing black gathered for a rally at the Feydhoo harbor in the southernmost Addu City.

Earlier in the day, hundreds of MDP supporters participated in a special prayer outside the Islamic Centre after Friday prayers.

“Brutality reigns in our country. Justice abolished. O Allah! May our country be saved from the brutality of our rulers, and may we be taken to safer shores,” the prayer stated.

“Our beloved leader, a man loved by a majority of us, Mohamed Nasheed, has been unjustly sentenced and imprisoned. He has suffered and continues to suffer. O Allah! Save Mohamed Nasheed from this brutality.”

The prayer gathering prompted Home Minister Umar Naseer to call for police action against usng mosques and surrounding areas to “make political statements.”

The MDP condemned Naseer’s “warning” in a statement today, describing the tweet as “shocking.”

“Mosques are used for worship and prayer. The acts of brutality in the Maldives are prohibited and praying to be saved from such acts is encouraged in Islam. We see interfering with citizens of a Muslim country’s praying and threatening them as this government’s brutality getting to a whole new level,” read the statement.

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