The opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) has decided to launch a national civil disobedience campaign to free imprisoned leader, former President Mohamed Nasheed.
A resolution passed at an MDP national council meeting declared the party does not accept the Criminal Court’s 13-year jail term against Nasheed for his role in the January 2012 military detention of Criminal Court Chief Judge Abdulla Mohamed.
The terrorism conviction effectively bars Nasheed from presidential elections in 2018.
“The MDP resolves to free President Mohamed Nasheed from this government’s injustice, to do all necessary to stop the persecution of other politicians, to involve other political parties and other supporters in our work as extensively as possible, to launch a national civil disobedience movement, to reform judiciary and ensure judicial independence, to launch protests and organise petitions, and to accept Nasheed’s last appeal and establish a people’s government,” the resolution said.
Nasheed had called on supporters to confront President Abdulla Yameen’s “dictatorial regime” and “to take all of your lives in your hands and to go out onto the streets in protest.”
Speaking at the council meeting, MDP council members called for targeted boycotts against pro-government resorts and businesses and urged mass protests in Malé.
Nasheed will remain the party’s president and 2018 presidential candidate, MP for Galholhu North MP Eva Abdulla said.
“We, all of us together, we don’t have the sort of courage Mohamed Nasheed does. But we have learnt to take heart from his courage. That is why I say, don’t you dare think we will take a step back,” she said.
Pointing to several irregularities in the trial, MDP council members declared they would not accept the guilty verdict, and called on supporters to have courage.
“I am eight months pregnant, yet I am determined to continue this fight for justice for President Nasheed and Maldivian citizens. If I have the courage, so does every single MDP member,” said Nasheed’s lawyer Hisaan Hussein.
Democracy is won through long hard struggles, many council members noted.
“We must remember, history is rife with such atrocities. Authoritarian rulers, in our neighboring India, Mahatma Gandhi, in South Africa, Mandela, sentenced them to long years in jail in an attempt to destroy their political careers. But ultimately, they came out national heroes,” MP and former Speaker Abdulla Shahid said.
After the meeting, council members led hundreds of supporters in a march through Malé, calling for Nasheed’s release.
When the march ended at approximately 12:30am, hundreds of young men continued calling for Nasheed’s freedom on foot and on motorbikes.
Six protesters were arrested last night, the Maldives Police Services said.
In the wake of the Criminal Court sentencing the opposition leader to 13 years in jail on Friday night (March 13), the United States, United Kingdom and the European Union expressed concern with the lack of due process, while Amnesty International said Nasheed’s conviction “after a deeply flawed and politically motivated trial is a travesty of justice.”
Domestically, the Human Rights Commission of Maldives said the former president was denied fundamental rights that guarantee a fair trial in line with the Maldives’ obligations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR).
Moreover, human rights NGO Maldivian Democracy Network urged the UN Special Rapporteur on the Independence of Judges to intervene in order to prevent a “slide back to autocracy,” whilst Transparency Maldives expressed “grave concern” and stressed that Nasheed was denied legal representation, the right to appeal, and sufficient time to mount a defence.
President Abdulla Yameen has meanwhile called on all parties to respect the Criminal Court’s verdict against former President Mohamed Nasheed.
In a statement released by the President’s Office last night, President Yameen noted that the opposition leader has “a constitutionally guaranteed right of appeal” to challenge his conviction on terrorism charges at the High Court.
Related to this story
Respect Criminal Court verdict, says President Yameen
US, EU, and UK concerned over lack of due process in Nasheed trial
Government will ensure Nasheed’s right to appeal conviction, says spokesperson
Former President Nasheed found guilty of terrorism, sentenced to 13 years in prison
Nasheed trial “not free or fair,” says Maldivian Democracy Network
“This is not a court of law. This is injustice,” Nasheed tells the Criminal Court
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Democracy and religion, especially one like ours, do not mix.
They are not compatible. Look at the reality in Maldives.
Anyone who thinks different, is burying his head in sand.
People are trying to mould religion to make it lose its tight grip, to see if they fit, but in reality the principles are different.
What do we want? Religion or democracy? This needs to be discussed first and foremost.
When you decide for civil disobedience, beware of the SO platoon that was unleashed against the unarmed innocent civilians. Their locks and methods of arrest like bending the hand from wrist downwards, pushing the thumb towards opposite direction and pulling the hands bent from behind and lifting upwards are all tactics aimed at inflicting immense pain to those who are targeted to be arrested. Apart from this paid state terrorists beware of Masodi gang members again financed and drugged my the brainless stupid big boy who runs the country with the First Lady Fathun. I am ashamed of Umar Naseer who I thought was a hero, police officers and the military who so impotent they allow them to be governed by a stupid hulk, a lusty first lady for Hulk's sexual favours and a platoon of paid SO police. If I am wrong just observe. It is the same SO lot day in and day out that are coming to disperse the demonstrators. So much for electing an impotent man as a President
Today Nasheed lawyers had appealed the case in high court . But then again, Nasheed refuse to enter high court on then ground that the hearing should be done on a public forum and not in a court room.
On one side Nasheed is saying no fair trial and then one side try to dictate the terms with the court.
How does this two things can happened ?
Islam has the most democratic ethos imbedded in it as a practicing religion. There is nothing wrong in the religion per se and it does not require an "Alternative Narrative" even in the modern world. If well read you don't require a debate on this subject.
@habibib
That's exactly it. Your priests and mullahs demand that people obey their version of Islam, declaring anyone who does not pander to their depravity as 'laadheenee'.
What, are you gonna stab me?
@Ali Hussein
As long as you don't see the difference between secularism and islam there is no discussion. Just read something... anything!
Very well said Boko Halal.. Thanks