Former President Mohamed Nasheed has been presented to a court hearing under police custody, following his arrest on Monday on an order issued by Hulhumale Magistrate Court.
Hundreds of protesters are gathered in the area surrounding the court. Protesters claim that the Hulhumale’ court is unlawful and are calling for Nasheed to be freed.
The arrest of Nasheed on the island of Fares-Mathoda by the police followed a decision by Nasheed’s party to ignore two previous summons and a travel ban issued by the court, which the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) contend has no legitimacy under the 2008 Constitution. The matter is currently being considered by the Supreme Court.
Excessive force used in arrest: Amnesty
International human rights NGO Amnesty International has stated that the Maldives Police Services (MPS) used “excessive force” during the arrest of Nasheed.
The statement noted eyewitness accounts of the police vandalising the house of former Minister of Housing and Environment Mohamed Aslam, where Nasheed was staying at the time of arrest. It also highlighted accounts of attacks against supporters outside the residence who were exercising their right to protest peacefully.
Regarding the case against Nasheed, the statement further says that although it is “positive” that the Maldivian authorities are investigating the case, the organisation is concerned that the human rights violations during the 30 year presidency of Maumoon Abdul Gayyoom and those that have occurred since Mohamed Waheed Hassan assumed office in February 2012 were being ignored.
“Investigations into past abuses are always welcome. However, accountability must not be selective – all authorities including former presidents should be held accountable for human rights violations. The focus on human rights violations during only Nasheed’s presidency appears politically motivated,” said Amnesty International’s Researcher on Maldives Abbas Faiz.
Arrest was carried out “very professionally”: police
Police have released a statement claiming that police officers acted “very professionally” in bringing Nasheed into police custody.
The statement says that the police had initially requested Nasheed to hand himself over to the police. According to the police, officers broke down the door of the room Nasheed was in and detained him after he failed to respond to the initial commands. The statemen claims that this is the general course of action used by police in similar situations.
The police denied that any officers used offensive language or that any physical or that psychological trauma was caused to anyone during the arrest.
The statement further notes that from the time Nasheed was brought to the Dhoonidhoo Detention Centre last night, the Human Rights Commission of the Maldives and the Police Integrity Commission have been provided with the opportunity to observe the proceedings of the operation to arrest Nasheed.
Police have also stated that Nasheed is allowed access to legal counsel and family under the arranged regulations.
“No chance of a fair trial”
The MDP has claimed there is no chance of a fair trial in the Maldives for former President Nasheed, and Nasheed’s legal team have complained about the “extraordinary way” the trial is being conducted.
President Nasheed’s legal team said they had not received official notifications from the court about trial dates., and were instead learning this information from local media reports.
“Moreover, in an unprecedented move, the Judicial Services Commission, which includes President Nasheed’s political rivals (such as resort tycoon and Jumhoree Party (JP) leader Gasim Ibrahim), have hand-picked a panel of three magistrates to oversee the case, whose names have been kept secret. This is in breach of normal practice and in violation of the Judicature Act,” the party stated.
“The coup has not been fully completed,” said MDP spokesperson Hamid Abdul Ghafoor. “There is no point bringing President Nasheed down in a police mutiny if he then goes on to win presidential elections 18 months later. To ensure its survival, Mr Waheed’s regime needs to remove President Nasheed from the political equation and that is precisely what they intend to do.”
He noted that the UN Human Rights Committee, the International Commission of Jurists, Amnesty International, FIDH, and the Commonwealth had all have expressed concern over the independence and competence of the Maldivian judiciary and called for reform.
Police used force despite Nasheed not showing resistance: Aslam
Former Minister of Housing and Environment, who had accompanied Nasheed on the police boat along with MDP MPs Imthiyaz Fahmy and Ilyas Labeeb, told Minivan News on Monday that Nasheed had not shown any resistance to being arrested, but the police had used undue force in the arrest.
Aslam further said that the police had forced themselves into the house, damaging property in the process. He further said that the police had “pushed around” people inside the house.
In addition to riot guns, Aslam also alleged that police had been carrying firearms.
“We also later on knew that they had pistols. I don’t know what sort of pistols they were. But we saw them packing them away after escorting us on to the boat,” Aslam said.
MDP Chairperson ‘Reeko’ Moosa Manik gave a press briefing following a visit to Nasheed in Dhoonidhoo on Tuesday afternoon, stating that the former president was being kept in detention outside of the normal systems and deprived of his freedoms. He said that he condemned the police treating Nasheed “like a convicted criminal”.
No force used after Nasheed was brought to Dhoonidhoo: PIC
Police Integrity Commission (PIC)’s Vice President Abdullah Waheed confirmed Tuesday that a three member team had visited Dhoonidhoo on Monday night following Nasheed’s transfer to the detention centre.
Speaking to Minivan News, Waheed said that observers had not accompanied the police who had travelled to FaresMathoda to arrest Nasheed, but had stayed at Dhoonidhoo from the time he was brought until midnight.
“During their visit to Dhoonidhoo, our team did not see any force being used against Nasheed,” Waheed said.
“We have not received any complaints from anyone alleging anything was done wrong by police during Nasheed’s arrest,” Waheed said, adding that the commission only looked into matters when an official complaint was filed.
Vice President of Human Rights Commission of the Maldives (HRCM) Ahmed Tholal confirmed to Minivan News that himself and the President of HRCM Mariyam Azra had made a visit to Dhoonidhoo last night in relation to Nasheed’s arrest.
He said that more information could be provided following a commission members meeting, but did not respond to calls later.
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The blunder is already made by MDP to compromise with Coni. A coup that was carried out by police and with that hostile judiciary to democracy, once the coup is legitimized by that moronic team and accepted by international actors, you can be no doubt this monkey force and that kangaroo courts can create any situation to mock the democracy and people’s rights.
They are masters in twisting stories and are ardent on the strict wording of what they call constitution. But one thing they forget that there are people who don’t regard a draft that is drawn by monkeys and translating it to their whishes has no any value when the natural law and human rights are violated.
The old order is in full gear now, bring people to kangaroo courts by force and issue verdicts for their enemies. We are not worshipper s of Anni, but we are against this monkey brained people who have the control on our life. People should stand up and dismantle the mafia force and those kangaroo courts, the sooner the better. All what anni has scarified his life should not be wasted so simply.
The consequences of these actions are likely to be unfolded sooner than later!!
agree with hassan totally and will wait to see
There is no justice in past history of Maldives.
Evan President Gayoom Was sentence by saying a person who dink,sell make Alcohol will be the same in Islam.
He Was call and sentence for saying this during time of President Ibrahm Nasir.
President Gayoo said he was brought to a cout made inside Transport Ministry.
During 30 years or President Gayoom courts were under him and every I was taken my sentence was told before argument and given the sentence been told.
Ewan now itis the same people doing the same thing and the courts and forces are under Gayoom.
Maldives has to bee free from Gayoom and his regime to build a democracy and free and fair justice
PIC Waheed are't you the guys who found nothing wrong with the police brutality displayed on Feb 8th towards Nasheed and his supporters, i doubt you would see any wrong doings of the police even if Pres Nasheed was beaten in front of your eyes. Shame on you Waheed better keep your little mouth shut.
You are digging your own grave..!(metaphorically speaking) (might get arrested for murderthreat without the brackets) Mr Waheed and those behind him who pull the strings! You not only lack decency and dignity, you lack ingelligence, too!
Serves the people right. Straight back into Gayooms loving (sic) arms. Looking right, looking left, wondering which path to walk while the country goes up in flames(metaphor, Dr Waheed, metaphor)
The sheer arrogance of Nasheed never ceases to astound me. He thought he could go island-hopping in blatant disregard for the law with no consequences and no possibility of anyone bringing him back to reality to answer for what he is accused of.
This cannot go on. Nasheed must be broken and here is our chance.
history repeats itself............. Time will tell.
tsk tsk,
What astounds me is your lack of cognitive ability to comprehend that this is not about justice, the rule of law or Nasheed. This is about a plutocratic elite who do not wish to relinquish power, the the means to accrue ill gained wealth, certainly not to the unwashed masses some of whom are naive enough to be manipulated against their own self interest.
You seem like a learned inteligent man. But you are the kind of smart guy who corrects people that a tomato is a fruit, not a vegetable.....and goes on to put tomato in a fruit salad.
Waheed has a wider mouth than anyone could imagine shanaa.
OMG!
If this is how a professional arrest is made, I would be damned!
It seems the world can learn for Maldivian Police Service, how a professional arrest is made!
@tsk tsk
Break Nasheed! You must be joking!
Boy! You have the audacity to say this!
But I will bet my sweet life on it that you will not have an atom of courage to go through ONE second, of what President Nasheed has gone through to be broken, and reined in by Gayyoom and the pack of dogs he rared!
Boy! President Nasheed is Mahathma Class!
Boy! Mahathma Class!
Forget it!
Instead, you can enjoy and boast about with what you and your like have managed to get through the "professionalism" of the very people who brought this coup, brought President Nasheed from Fares Mathoda and also have done many more things to be surfaced sooner or later!
For those who think putting Nasheed away has done the trick: there is always, always, a longer game. The momentum towards democracy cannot be reversed, no matter what mafia tactics and kangaroo courts are used. Actions have consequences. This is an unfortunate but inevitable chapter in the move towards democracy in the larger history of the Maldives. Resistance to change will eventually be overcome by change itself. Life is change, even if it sometimes seems to come too late. Wish these guys could look beyond their (short term, for their life isn't infinite) bank balance - then we wouldn't have this problem. In the meantime those who aren't burying their heads in the sand must not lose sight of that longer game. The Chinese proverb: If you wait by the river long enough you will see the bodies of your enemies floating past is far too true. Even (ideally) without the bloodthirsty element. An elite that does not fulfill its duty to the rest in a small county like ours, has to bear the consequences of its actions. One day.What goes round does, indeed, come round.
Looks like mr. tsk tsk has a silly grasp on this 'law' business.
A law that does not protect the citizen, but serves to rubberstamp and whitewash the rape and defilement of the Maldivian people and their rights, needs not be obeyed.
And now that he has realized that his pitiful mercenary thugs are helpless, he now moves on to murder threats.
Yes, bring your murderers. We shall respond with superior force and numbers.
My dear boy, Abdulla Zayyid, I am not really sure what delusional fantasy land hosts your version of the world. However against my better judgement I am going to ask you to substantiate the following. Prove:
- That "the law does not protect citizens but serves to rubberstamp and whitewash the rape and defilement of the Maldivian people and their rights". Whatever that even means.
- That I have at my disposal various units of (now supposedly moribund) mercenary thugs. Really now...
- That I made any threats of physical violence against Nasheed. An emphatic expression of my sincere belief that his streak of arrogance needs to be broken does not count I'm afraid.
- That a rabble of actual thugs dressed in yellow walking side by side in rows of six choking off traffic in streets that can barely accomodate two small volvos amounts to anything approaching "superior numbers".
Or are you, as I suspect, what the youngsters nowadays would call a "keyboard warrior"? Full of vim and rhetoric to compensate for your lack of
relevance. If he hadn't jumped ship and could type a coherent sentence I'd think you were none other tham Alhan Fahmy. 🙂
Again, superior force?
Give it up. Life isn't a video game. Nasheed is done for. Game over son.
tsk tsk
I'm sorry you can't observe what happens in Maldives, and are stuck with whatever the enemy regime spoonfeeds you with their media, so I recommend you turn off your computer and visit Maldives someday, instead of being, as you said, a 'keyboard warrior'.
Now you explain to me, why ordering an investigation into the actions of a pedophile is a crime. A President has a duty to protect the people of his nation from such people.
@tsk tsk
Ah well, looks like you’ve beaten a cowardly retreat yet again.
No matter.