Day: May 2, 2015

15-day remand for scores of protesters

The criminal court has remanded scores of antigovernment protesters for 15 days as the opposition began a new effort to rally supporters following a crackdown on May Day’s protest.

According to lawyers, of the 194 arrested, only 19 were released, but only because the police had failed to present them at court within the 24-hour period required by law.

The numbers arrested yesterday are the largest from a single protest in ten years.

Adhaalath Party president Sheikh Imran Abdulla, Jumhooree Party deputy leader Ameen Ibrahim and Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) chairperson Ali Waheed were also detained for 15 days.

The three were arrested under court warrants late last night.

One man was sentenced to six months in jail for contempt of court when he accused a judge of corruption. Anil Mufeed of Addu City reportedly told a judge: “Thank you for the reload.”

Court reporters said a judge asked the 19 who were released: “Were you arrested while you were prostrating before god?”

Former MDP MP Ahmed Easa was limping when he was escorted inside the court building.

The roads leading to the criminal court were closed for most of the day for the remand hearings causing traffic jams in the area.

Tens of thousands had taken to the streets yesterday over the jailing of ex president Mohamed Nasheed and increased authoritarianism by the government.

Opposition leaders had said they would force President Abdulla Yameen to release jailed leaders and start negotiations.

The march was peaceful, but clashes erupted between protesters and police at dusk when thousands attempted to enter the city’s main square. Police used stun grenades, thunder flashes, tear gas and pepper spray to control the crowds.

Hundreds were injured in the crackdown and two police officers were severely beaten by protesters.

The government has labeled the protest a failure and held a fireworks display tonight in celebration. The ruling party has also threatened to dismiss any government employee who took part in the protest.

The opposition meanwhile held a rally at the Artificial Beach at 9pm tonight, where leaders encouraged the crowd of just over a thousand people to continue to have faith.

The mood was somber as police prevented the protesters from leaving the Artificial Beach area on a march. They also ordered protesters to go home by 12am.

Speaking to supporters, MDP MP Imthiyaz Fahmy noted growing international pressure on the government to release Nasheed and said the Maldives could not afford to be a pariah state.

“The government wants to govern like North Korea. But this is not possible. Keep faith. Don’t lose your determination. This is why we remain steadfast in fighting for our rights,” he said.

Former environment minister Mohamed Aslam said: “We must resolve to protest in Malé again, to gather numbers larger than May 1.”

Independent MP Ahmed Mahloof said freedom and democracy came through long struggles and said the opposition will remain steadfast.

“You cannot drown out our voices. We will keep going forward,” he warned the government.

Adhaalath Party, JP and MDP leaders attended the rally. The crowd called for the release of protesters and jailed opposition leaders.

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Maldives democracy under threat, says John Kerry

Condemning the imprisonment of former president Mohamed Nasheed, the US Secretary of State John Kerry said democracy is under threat in the Maldives.

“We’ve seen even now how regrettably there are troubling signs that democracy is under threat in the Maldives where the former president Nasheed has been imprisoned without due process,” Kerry told the press in Sri Lanka today.

“This is an injustice that needs to be addressed soon.”

Kerry’s remarks come after nearly 200 protesters were arrested during clashes on Friday after a historic antigovernment protest over Nasheed’s imprisonment.

Nasheed’s wife Laila Ali had met with Kerry in Washington DC shortly before his visit to Sri Lanka.

Laila and Nasheed’s international legal team on Thursday lodged a petition with the UN’s working group on arbitrary detention requesting a judgment declaring the opposition leader’s detention illegal and arbitrary.

The UN human rights office yesterday said Nasheed’s trial was “vastly unfair, arbitrary and disproportionate.”

Briefing the press in Geneva, Mona Rishmawi, the head of the rule of law, equality and non-discrimination branch, said Nasheed’s 19-day trial was politically motivated and was reached by judges wielding “incredible discretionary powers.”

Meanwhile, the European parliament passed a resolution on Thursday urging the government to release Nasheed immediately.

However, the government remains defiant, with the foreign minister saying President Abdulla Yameen’s government will not comply with demands from foreign governments to “meddle” in judicial affairs and release a convict.

In an interview with state broadcaster TVM, Dunya Maumoon said the Maldives would become “enslaved” and lose its independence if the government accepted such demands.

Foreign government do not wish well for the Maldives, she continued and called on the public to protect the country’s institutions, independence and sovereignty.

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Government celebrates ‘protest failure’ with fireworks

The government held a firework display in Malé tonight after declaring the opposition’s mass antigovernment protest a failure.

Tens of thousands of people took to the streets yesterday over the jailing of ex-president Mohamed Nasheed, but police cracked down on protesters when they attempted to enter the city’s main square and dispersed the protest.

Hundreds including opposition leaders were arrested and injured in the crackdown, and two police officers suffered serious injuries in the clashes.

Announcing the fireworks event at a press conference this afternoon, MPs of the ruling Progressive Party of the Maldives (PPM) labeled the protest a coup attempt.

“A president is elected for five years. It’s very clear how [the state] must act towards those who come out to oust the government before that. Those people are attempting a coup. That is an unlawful protest,” MP Riyaz Rasheed said.

“You cannot change a government without us. I’m saying very clearly that cannot be done. The people with those capabilities are with the PPM,” he added.

The PPM in alliance with the Adhaalath Party and the Jumhooree Party (JP) had led a campaign in 2012 to oust former president Nasheed. He resigned on February 7, 2012, after a police and military mutiny.

Accusing President Abdulla Yameen of authoritarianism, the Adhaalath Party and the JP split from the ruling coalition in March and February, respectively, and allied with Nasheed’s Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP).

“The protest failed, Imran went to jail and President Yameen will go forward with the nation,” MP Abdul Raheem Abdulla said.

Adhaalath president Sheikh Imran Abdulla, MDP chairperson Ali Waheed and JP deputy leader Ameen Ibrahim were arrested in a late night crackdown last night.

PPM parliamentary group leader Ahmed Nihan dismissed the opposition’s claims that 35,000 people had taken to the streets. He said only 13,000 had come out, but only to celebrate labor day and take selfies.

He described the protesters as unemployed young people who continue to depend on their parents for money to buy a cup of coffee.

“The 60 percent of people there do not support any political ideology, but since its May Day, labor day, they powdered their faces and came out to take photos for social media,” he said.

Many families are calling ruling party MPs requesting the release of family members who were arrested at protests, but “there is nothing we can do,” Nihan said.

Nihan says the government must dismiss civil servants and employees of state owned companies who were encouraging violence against police on social media.

“The parliamentary group requests the government to identify these people and give them notice as soon as possible and dismiss them. Open up opportunities for the young people who do not participate in such acts,” he said.

Praising the police for breaking up the protest, Nihan said the PPM parliamentary group will consider increasing financial and human resources for the police force.

MP Riyaz meanwhile warned the opposition the government stands ready to confront protesters: “we will not hide when they come out to beat us. We will hit back if we are beaten. We will not step back.

“This parliamentary group will do everything necessary to defend the government. We have a majority in all committees. We are telling the security forces and the independent commissions, you must carry out your responsibilities. Otherwise, the Majlis will take the required action,” he said.

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Opposition to resume protests

The opposition alliance have vowed to continue anti-government protests tonight despite the arrest of 193 protesters and leaders of the allied parties after clashes at yesterday’s May Day rally.

Police have meanwhile threatened to break up any demonstration held without prior notice as soon as it starts. The ‘Maldivians against tyranny’ coalition has urged supporters to gather at the artificial beach at 9:00pm.

The goal of the May Day protest march was to “bring an end to brutality,” but was met with a brutal police crackdown, said main opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) MP Ibrahim Mohamed Solih ‘Ibu’ after a meeting of the alliance’s steering committee.

Police have said that protesters assaulted police officers, damaged the property of the security services and the public, and disrupted public order and safety. Two police officers have been flown to Sri Lanka for treatment of injuries.

However, opposition leaders accused police of using “excessive and disproportionate force” against protesters after 30,000 people took to the streets of the capital.

Police cracked down with tear gas, pepper spray, stun grenades, and baton charges after protesters attempted to enter the ‘green zone’ to perform dusk prayers at the Islamic centre. Gatherings are prohibited at the Republic square in front of the mosque.

Ibu said the alliance had planned to pray on the street after marching to the western end of Majeedhee Magu, but the leadership decided to pray at the Islamic centre as police had told the AP that no protest activity should take place between dusk and evening prayers.

While such an order was unconstitutional, Ibu said the opposition leaders decided not to carry out any activities during the specified period.

“We had a plan. We tried for the people gathered with us to the Islamic centre any way they could. But you saw how police acted after that,” he said.

Responding to criticism of the opposition leaders “fleeing” the scene after the crackdown, Sheikh Mohamed Didi from the Adhaalath Party said the leaders went to pray at nearby homes when it became clear they could not enter the Islamic centre.

Former ruling party MP Ahmed Mahloof said reports suggested the number of people arrested yesterday could be as high as 280 and not 193 as police have said.

“We are clarifying this information. This number of people have never been arrested in Maldivian history,” he said.

Mahloof also criticised the Police Integrity Commission for claiming police had acted professionally and with restraint. The independent MP said police beat up several protesters.

Further clashes took place at 8pm after protesters regrouped at Chandhanee Magu with Specialist Operations (SO) officers periodically charged the crowd and made dozens of arrest.

Police have made public video footage of protesters tripping and beating up a lone SO officer. The officer was rescued by protesters and brought behind police lines, prompting a baton charge. Police said another officer was injured when a protest pickup broke through police lines near the fish market.

Ibu said pro-government supporters had infiltrated the crowd yesterday and that the alliance is looking into the assault of the police officer on Chaandhanee Magu to determine who was involved.

Mahloof claimed the incident occurred shortly after an SO pickup charged into the crowd at high speed, which angered the protesters.

The alliance regrets the incident and does not encourage violence, he said, and suggested that the officer might have been assaulted by gangs paid by the government.

Local media reported officials at the Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital (IGHM) as saying that neither the police officers nor protesters suffered serious injuries. Five police officers and six civilians were treated at IGMH while four protesters were treated at ADK.

Meanwhile, invoking authority under the 2013 freedom of assembly law to restrict the constitutional right to protest, police announced today that further protests will not be allowed unless police are given advance notice.

“We notify protest organisers that gatherings held without giving notice or providing full information to police will be stopped at the time of commencement,” the Maldives Police Service warned in a statement this afternoon.

The 2013 law requires organisers to uphold public interest and notify police if the protest is to take place on public roads. The law also states that the right to assembly can be limited in the interests of maintaining national security, public order, and stability.

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UN rights office urges action to rectify Nasheed’s ‘vastly unfair’ trial

The trial and conviction of former president Mohamed Nasheed was “vastly unfair, arbitrary, and disproportionate,” a senior official at the UN human rights office said yesterday, urging action to resolve a deepening political crisis.

The government, however, remains defiant in the face of growing international and domestic pressure for the release of the opposition leader.

At a UN press briefing in Geneva on Friday, Mona Rishmawi, head of the rule of law, equality and non-discrimination branch, said Nasheed’s 19-day trial was politically motivated and his conviction was reached by judges wielding “incredible discretionary powers.”

“We kind of started to get signals that even the government recognises that something went wrong with the process of the trial,” she was quoted as saying by Reuters.

“We would like to see this translate into concrete political action and see something happening in this case…What is very clear is that the president still has clemency powers.”

Rishmawi visited the Maldives from April 20 to 23 as head of a delegation from the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights to “examine the broader issues” related to Nasheed’s case.

However, foreign minister Dunya Maumoon told the state broadcaster yesterday that the government will not comply with demands from foreign governments to “meddle” with the judiciary and release a convict.

The European parliament adopted a resolution last week calling on the government to release Nasheed and urged member states to issue warnings on the Maldives’ human rights record on their travel advice websites.

Nasheed’s international lawyers are also seeking a judgment from the UN working group on arbitrary detention declaring his incarceration illegal.

Dunya reportedly said the Maldives would become “enslaved” and lose its independence if the government accepted the demands.

The foreign governments do not wish well for the Maldives, Dunya said, and called on the public to protect the country’s institutions, independence, and sovereignty.

After meetings with officials from the government and the judiciary as well as members of civil society organisations, the UN delegation found that the prosecutor general and judges have “excessive discretionary powers” in the absence of criminal justice procedures and evidence laws, according to a press briefing note from the UN rights office.

Rishmawi noted that lesser charges against Nasheed over the January 2012 military detention of criminal court chief judge Abdulla Mohamed had been withdrawn shortly before his arrest in February.

Nasheed “learnt about the new charge under the Terrorism Act only upon his arrest.”

He was found guilty on March 13 and sentenced to 13 years in prison.

The criminal court denied Nasheed “the possibility to prepare and present adequate defence, including calling defence witnesses, and examining the evidence against him.”

“What we saw is that the rules have been really changed to lead to a certain result,” she said.

The discretionary powers do not work for the benefit of a fair trial, which she said was the main issue at stake and suggested that “international pressure could help fix flaws” in the judiciary.

The briefing note added that the Maldivian judiciary is “is perceived as politicised, inadequate and subject to external influence” and referred to the convictions of former defence ministers Mohamed Nazim and Tholhath Ibrahim, who also “received disproportionate sentences in a flawed trials.”

The UN human rights office urged the government to ensure an environment conducive for political dialogue, allow the exercise of the rights of free expression and assembly, and ensure Nasheed’s safety in custody.

Rishmawi met the former president in a “temporary location” before he was transferred to the high-security Maafushi jail, and described Nasheed as thoughtful and humorous.

“But I wouldn’t say he was relaxed. He knew he was facing 13 years in prison and he knew that his situation is really really difficult and he worried a lot about his safety,” she said.

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