Tag: Ahmed Rilwan

Missing journalist’s family concerned over slow progress in search

Missing Minivan News journalist Ahmed Rilwan Abdulla’s family has expressed concern over slow progress in the Maldives Police Service’s three-week long search.

The police released a statement on Thursday night claiming it had questioned 318 individuals, interrogated 111, searched 139 locations in Malé’s suburb island Hulhumalé and searched 267,197.5 square meters of ocean.

“These are just statistics. We want to find him. We want the police to tell us if they have leads, if there is progress,” Rilwan’s brother Moosa Rilwan told Minivan News today.

“We want to know what the results of these extensive searches are. It’s been a month, my family and I fear for his life,” Moosa said.

Rilwan was last seen boarding the Hulhumalé ferry on August 8 at 12:55am. Evidence gathered by Minivan News suggests Rilwan was abducted.

Abduction

Eyewitnesses told Minivan News they saw a man being forced into a car at knifepoint in front of Rilwan’s apartment building at the time he is expected to have reached his house. The abductors dropped the knife and eyewitnesses reported the incident to the police. Minivan News understands the police confiscated the knife from the scene.

The police have said they took in two cars and have conducted forensic tests. Samples have also been sent abroad for further tests. Meanwhile, four individuals’ passports have also been withheld in connection to the case.

According to Moosa, the police have so far refused to publicly comment on whether there is a connection between the abduction and Rilwan’s disappearance.

“If the incident is not connected to Rilwan’s disappearance, who was abducted? What did the police do on the night after the abduction was reported? Why have they taken in two cars in relation to Rilwan’s disappearance?” Moosa questioned.

“Why have the police withheld passports? Have they been questioned? Are the police not afraid these men may go into hiding in the country?”

The police’s statement raises more questions than answers, he added.

Extensive search

According to the police, a specialist crime command team consisting of police officers from the intelligence department, forensics department, marine police specialist operations and divisional operations are working around the clock on the case.

The team is analysing 719 hours of CCTV footage from 101 cameras at 48 locations along the route Rilwan is believed to have traveled in Malé on the night of his disappearance.

Police are also investigating 638,000 cellphone numbers that have hit cell towers along the same route, the statement said.

Some 18 vessels in Hulhumalé lagoon including Safari boats, all of the beach area and empty lots in Hulhumalé, eight houses in Malé’s, four locations and the waste dump in Malé’s second suburb island Villingili were also searched, the police said.

Rilwan’s family will continue to support the police in the search, Moosa said.

The Human Rights Commission has also released a statement noting that it had yet to be updated on the authorities’ attempts to locate the missing journalist, despite having made a request for information more than two weeks ago.

Pressure up

An Avaaz petition has been launched calling on the Maldives government to expedite the search to find Rilwan and to guarantee a safe environment for all journalists, human rights defenders and bloggers in the Maldives.

The opposition Maldivian Democratic Party has tabled the case with the People’s Majlis Security Services or 241 committee.

Minivan News understands Minister of Home Affairs Umar Naseer, Commissioner of Police Hussein Waheed and Minister of Defense and National Security Mohamed Nazim were summoned to the confidential committee hearing on Thursday.

Rilwan’s friends and family have also gathered 5000 signatures on a Majlis petition calling on the parliament to press for a thorough and speedy investigation.

The family has offered MVR200,000 (US$ 12,945) for any information on Riwlan’s whereabouts.

Maldives media have also called for a speedy investigation in a joint statement and have met with the Commissioner of Police, MPs from the ruling Progressive Party of the Maldives and MDP, Prosecutor General and Majlis Speaker Abdulla Maseeh regarding the case.

International organisations, including Reporters Without Borders (RSF), the Committee to Project Journalists (CPJ) and the UNHCR, have expressed concern over Rilwan’s disappearance.

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Family of Rilwan submit petition with 5000 signatures to People’s Majlis

The family of missing journalist Ahmed Rilwan Abdulla have submitted a petition calling for the Majlis’s national security committee to find answers to questions regarding his disappearance 27 days ago.

“We have submitted the petition with over 5000 signatures and we hope we will get the support from the members of all parties in our quest to find our brother,”

Today’s petition asked the national security committee to request relevant authorities to give answers to questions which “arose due to the negligence of the Maldives Police Services in searching for Rilwan.”

Additionally, the Maldivian Democracy Network (MDN) has today written an open letter (Dhivehi) to the Commissioner of Police Hussain Waheed, expressing its own concerns about the investigation and requesting a public response.

MDN’s letter noted that the police service “has a responsibility to reveal information regarding the case in a manner which will bring satisfaction to the concerned public, to a level where you do not lose the trust that the public holds in you.”

The Human Rights Commission has already released a statement noting that it had yet to be updated on the authorities’ attempts to locate the missing journalist, having made a request for information more than two weeks ago.

MDN’s letter requested information on the following points:

– Whether the reported confiscation of a vehicle and orders for a number of arrests are related to witness reports of a man being forced into a car outside Rilwan’s home just minutes after his last confirmed sighting.

– The apparent failure of police to follow the norms of procedure in foreign countries which includes making public photos of the victim and providing a contact for the public to call with information regarding the person

– Potential cooperation between police and friends and family of Rilwan who have continued activities to raise awareness of the disappearance, including communication regarding activities that could hinder investigations.

The unresolved questions in the family’s petition also included whether standard procedures were being followed and whether links with a reported abduction had been properly explored.

“These are also matters on which state institutions have so far conducted no work in order to reach the truth,” read the petition submitted this morning.

Prior to the petition, Rilwan’s family had presented MPs with a letter last week requesting their help in the search.

“Hear our plea. Please. I’m calling on all leaders. We are going to all leaders in the Maldives. We are telling them please calm our hearts. For Allah’s sake, please tell us what has happened to our son,” Rilwan’s mother, Aminath Easa, pleaded with authorities.

In response to a letter from Easa earlier this week, the campaign to find Rilwan continued yesterday as hundreds of people affected by violent crime gathered at Malé City Hall to call for justice.

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HRCM uncertain as to state’s actions in Rilwan case

The Human Rights Commission of Maldives (HRCM) has again suggested that authorities are not doing enough in the search for missing Minivan News journalist Ahmed Rilwan Abdulla.

After seeking updates on the case from both the the foreign minister and attorney general on August 19, the HRCM noted that it had not seen “any further efforts from the state following the appeal”.

“The commission brought Ahmed Rilwan Abdulla’s case to the attention of the Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders and the Special Rapporteur on Freedom of expression through the UN’s special procedures, and the commission has been monitoring the state’s actions in the case of [Rilwan’s] disappearance,” read today’s statement.

Today’s statement said that HCRM members had met with police on August 28, urging them to use all resources to expedite their investigation.

Before working for Minivan News, Rilwan had been an employee of the HRCM between 2010 and 2012.

Calls to speed up the search for Rilwan – last seen on the Malé-Hulhumalé ferry in the early hours of August 8 – have been echoed by numerous international groups, including the UN and Reporters Without Borders.

Neighbours reported seeing a man fitting Rilwan’s description being forced into a vehicle outside his apartment at around 2am on August 8.

The most recent update from police came last week when Police Commissioner Hussain Waheed explained that 80 statements had been taken after questioning nearly 200 people.

Waheed also explained that multiple locations around the capital had been searched, including the lagoon around Hulhumalé, while nearly 300 hours of CCTV were being analysed.

Minivan News also learned last week that the passports of four men were being held in relation to the disappearance.

Working ceaselessly

“As it has been 26 days since Ahmed Rilwan Abdulla disappeared without a trace, the commission has been ceaselessly doing all it can,” read today’s HRCM statement.

Friends and family of Rilwan, also known to his twitter followers as moyameehaa, have also been campaigning tirelessly for greater action on the part of authorities.

Rilwan’s mother has urged all families of victims of violent crime to work together to ensure justice, calling for meeting to be held for all those affected by such incidents in Malé City Hall tonight at 9pm.

“It is the Maldives Police Services tasked with protecting our children and us. It is the courts tasked with ensuring justice for us in times of injustice,” said Aminath Easa in an open letter this week.

“However, we have to work together to expedite their services and hold them accountable,” she continued.

After demonstrating against the People’s Majlis’ failure to adequately address the issue, campaigners have collected over 4000 signatures on a petition calling on relevant authorities to provide answers to question that remain outstanding due to perceived police negligence.

Media groups have also provided a united front in the search for Rilwan, coordinating closely with campaigners to raise awareness of the disappearance.

Additionally, journalists representing all private outlets have jointly expressed grave concern over what they believe to have been an abduction, calling for an end to the persistent intimidation of the press.

Raajje TV’s staff yesterday donned black and blurred presenter’s faces on news segments regarding the disappearance as a show of support for the #findmoyameehaa campaign

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Raajje TV blurs news segment on missing journalist in solidarity

Expressing solidarity with missing Minivan News journalist Ahmed Rilwan, opposition aligned broadcaster Raajje TV’s staff have today donned black and blurred presenter’s faces on news segments regarding the disappearance.

Explaining the decision, Raajje TV said, “Rilwan has been disappeared, but we will not let it be forgotten for one moment.”

The station said it will continue with focusing out on news segments regarding Rilwan until facts of his disappearance are clear.

“Raajje TV’s main focus at the moment is to find Rilwan alive. We hope to see Rilwan back in journalism as soon as possible,” the station said in a statement today.

Raajje TV itself has suffered numerous attacks over the past two years, including vandalism of equipment and an arson attack that destroyed its offices and equipment. The station’s News Head Ibrahim ‘Asward’ Waheed also survived a near fatal assault in February 2012.

Expressing empathy with Rilwan’s family, Raajje TV called on the government, law enforcement agencies, media, civil society organizations and the public to step up efforts to find Rilwan.

“A Maldivian and a member of the Maldivian media family has been abducted and disappeared. Raajje TV believes a thorough investigation must be conducted and facts must be made known in this case,” the station said.

The Maldives Police Services have revealed very little information on the case. The passports of four individuals have reportedly been held over the case.

The station’s news site www.raajje.mv has also hosted a banner counting the days since Rilwan’s disappearance.

Minivan News Managing Editor Daniel Bosley thanked Raajje TV for its “incredible coverage.”

“It has been of great comfort during these difficult weeks to know that we have the support of others in the media community. We will continue to draw strength from the support of Raajje TV and other journalists as we continue the campaign to find Rilwan.”

Today marks the 25th day since Rilwan’s disappearance. Evidence gathered by Minivan News suggests Rilwan was abducted. Eyewitnesses said they saw a man being forced into a car at knifepoint infront of Rilwan’s apartment building on the night he disappeared.

Rilwan’s family and friends have meanwhile launched an extensive campaign to pressure government, including petitions, meeting state agencies, and raising public awareness on the issue.

Rilwan’s mother, Aminath Easa, 67, has also urged all families of victims of violent crime to work together to ensure justice.A meeting of families has been called for Wednesday September 3, at 9pm in Malé City Hall.

An Avaaz petition has also been launched calling on the Maldives government to expedite the search to find Rilwan and to guarantee a safe environment for all journalists, human rights defenders and bloggers in the Maldives.

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Missing journalist’s mother calls on families of violent crime victims to unite for justice

Missing Minivan News journalist Ahmed Rilwan Abdulla’s mother has urged all families of victims of violent crime to work together to ensure justice.

In an emotional letter today, Aminath Easa, 67, appealed to mothers of victims to hold the Maldives ailing justice system and law enforcement agencies accountable.

A meeting of families has been called for Wednesday September 3, at 9pm in Malé City Hall.

“The Maldives first saw knife attacks, then murders. My son’s disappearance signals the start of a culture of disappearing people. Your child has been a victim of knife attacks and murder attempts. Have you received justice? Let us, mothers, today stand together for justice,” she said.

“Today my son has disappeared. I do not know whose child will disappear next. It is the Maldives Police Services tasked with protecting our children and us. It is the courts tasked with ensuring justice for us in times of injustice. However, we have to work together to expedite their services and hold them accountable. My humble appeal to you mothers is to join me in this task, for your rights and the rights of your children.”

Today marks the 24th day since Rilwan’s disappearance. Evidence gathered by Minivan News suggests Rilwan was abducted. Eyewitnesses said they saw a man being forced into a car at knifepoint infront of Rilwan’s apartment building on the night he disappeared.

The Maldives Police Services have revealed very little information on the case. The passports of four individuals have  reportedly been held over the case.

Minister of Defense and National Security Mohamed Nazim said on Saturday he was hopeful of Rilwan’s safe return.

“I want to inform you, the Maldives government is doing all necessary, and I have hope, God willing, that Ahmed Rilwan will be found,” he said.

Rilwan’s family and friends have meanwhile launched an extensive campaign to pressure government, including petitions, meeting state agencies, and raising public awareness on the issue.

Signatures are being gathered on a petition urging the People’s Majlis national security committee to pressure the police for a thorough investigation. The opposition Maldivian Democratic Party had lodged the case with the committee on August 18.

An Avaaz petition has also been launched today calling on the Maldives government to expedite the search to find Rilwan and to guarantee a safe environment for all journalists, human rights defenders and bloggers in the Maldives.

The Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) have now asked the People’s Majlis to convene an emergency meeting of the security services or 241 committee. The party has also lodged the case with the government oversight committee.

On August 19, the MDP also sponsored an emergency motion calling on law enforcement agencies to step up efforts to find Rilwan. The motion was accepted with 51 votes in favor, but there has been no progress on the motion yet.

Full text of Aminath Easa’s letter:

From a mother to a mother,

I remember very well the day my son Ahmed Rilwan Abdulla was born. I can still hear his first cries. His first smile is ingrained in my heart. I can still see him start to crawl and start to walk before my eyes. I can still feel him holding tight onto my fingers as if it were yesterday. I still remember his first day of school. As a boy, he was never one to argue with me over any disputes. At the most, he would leave the house. When he returned, he would be quiet and would carry on as if nothing has happened.

My son, Rilwan, pays attention to religion. He prays, he fasts and he recites the Qur’an. He asks questions over religion and worldly affairs. He is a quiet and mild mannered young man. A brother who keeps up good relations with his family. A son who participates in his father’s work. An uncle who brings happiness to his nieces and nephews. He is my beloved son who is always ready to help me.

You mothers would share the same feelings I have for my son. I love my son Rilwan deeply, just as you do your children. No mother would wish for her child to disappear without a trace. In the past 24 days, all I have heard is that Rilwan may have been forced into a car in the early hours of the morning. That a knife was seen at the scene. That some parties were questioned. If it were your child who has been disappeared, would you not move heaven and earth to find him? Would you not go begging to all to find him? Would you not attempt to secure justice?

The Maldives first saw knife attacks, then murders. My son’s disappearance signals the start of a culture of disappearing people. Your child has been a victim of knife attacks and murder attempts. Have you received justice? Let us, mothers, today stand together for justice.

Today my son has disappeared. I do not know whose child will disappear next. It is the Maldives Police Services tasked with protecting our children and us. It is the courts tasked with ensuring justice for us in times of injustice. However, we have to work together to expedite their services and hold them accountable. My humble appeal to you mothers is to join me in this task, for your rights and the rights of your children.

The first meeting of the families of victims of disappearance, knife attacks and murder attempts will be held on September 3, Wednesday at 9:00 pm at the Malé City Hall. I request you to join me and participate in this undertaking.

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Rilwan’s abduction is a threat to all, says Maldives media

Maldivian journalists have expressed grave concern over the disappearance of Minivan News journalist Ahmed Rilwan Abdulla and called for an end to intimidation of the press.

In an unprecedented joint statement on Saturday, media outlets expressed solidarity and said Rilwan’s abduction is threat to all of Maldives.

“Abduction and disappearance of individuals do not stop with journalists. This is a threat to every individual, every family and all of the Maldives,” the statement read.

Efforts have been made by various parties to silence the press, including assault, murder attempts, vandalism of property and torching of TV stations, the statement noted.

“Now, a journalist has disappeared without a trace. Information we have gathered so far strongly suggests Rilwan was abducted,” it said.

The statement comes after several journalists from various media organisations spoke with eyewitnesses in Hulhumalé who claimed to have seen a man being forced into a car at knifepoint on the night of Rilwan’s disappearance.

Today is the 15th day since Rilwan is believed to have gone missing.

Both print and broadcast media signed the statement. They include Minivan News, Haveeru, Sun, CNM, Vaguthu, Dhuvas, Raajje TV, DhiTV, VTV, DhiFM, Channel One and Jazeera TV.

Media groups noted the state has failed to take adequate action against those who intimidate the press.

“As intimidation of press grows, and attacks against journalists, equipment, and buildings continue, we are extremely concerned over the delays in bringing to justice those who commit these acts. We note that the investigation of Rilwan’s case is slow and that information has not been adequately shared with the media and the public,” the statement said.

No one has been prosecuted for the October torching of Raajje TV, while two years have passed since charges were pressed against two individuals suspected of assaulting Raajje TV journalist Ibrahim ‘Asward’ Waheed.

The state’s failure to end press intimidation allows extremism of all forms to grow stronger, the statement added.

The Maldives Police Services have pledged to treat Rilwan’s disappearance as a “top priority case” and said the army is now assisting the police in their search. Police have failed to reveal details of the investigation.

In a May report, the Maldives Broadcasting Commission said 84 percent of reporters in the Maldives have reported being threatened at least once, often by political parties, gangs and religious extremists.

Media groups today urged the state to make the relevant policies to ensure the right to live and work without fear is enjoyed by all Maldivians.

“Even though different media outlets have different editorial policies, we, all journalists, are one family,” the statement said.

Pledging to do all necessary to secure freedom of the press, media groups said: “And though we continue to face dangers from radical and extremist groups, this is not a danger we alone face. We will not step back, or put down our pens, or silence our tongues or hold our thoughts in the face of such threats.”

Expressing gratitude for the solidarity, Minivan News Managing Editor Daniel Bosley said: “We, as journalists, are a community which rightly includes differing political opinions – and even different nationalities. But we have to send a message that we are one community nevertheless, and I strongly believe that this statement does that.”

Media groups have set up a committee to pressure the state to expedite investigations into Rilwan’s disappearance and end intimidation of the press. Planned activities include meetings with stakeholders on Rilwan’s disappearance, increased coverage and talk shows about the threats against media.

International groups, including the Office for the United Nations Commissioner for Human Rights (OCHR) and Reporters Without Borders have called for a speedy and thorough investigation.

The OCHR has urged the relevant authorities to address threats and intimidation of the press, while the International Federation of Journalists said the government must determine the circumstances of his disappearance as a “matter of urgency.”

The New York based Committee to Protect Journalists urged the authorities “to leave no stone unturned” in their efforts to find him.

Meanwhile, Rilwan’s family have offered a reward of MVR50,000 (US$3,240) for information leading to his successful return.

Read the full statement here

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MNDF assists police in sea search for missing Minivan News journalist

The Maldives National Defense Forces (MNDF) is helping the Maldives Police Services in searching the Hulhumalé lagoon for signs of missing Minivan News journalist Ahmed Rilwan Abdulla, Home Minister Umar Naseer has said.

Speaking at a press conference at noon, Naseer said a team of 40 police officers, including senior officials, and MNDF divers are involved in the “top priority case.”

The Home Ministry did not inform or invite Minivan News to the press conference.

The police are conducting a land search of Malé’s suburb island Hulhumalé with court warrants and MNDF divers are conducting a search of the waters around the island, Naseer said.

Minivan News believes Rilwan, 28-years-old, has been abducted. Two eyewitnesses told Minivan News they saw a man being forced into a car in front of Rilwan’s apartment building at knifepoint in Hulhumalé at the time Rilwan is believed to have gone missing.

“Such an incident happened and was reported to the police. But it is not yet established if the incident is related to Rilwan,” Naseer said adding that the police is considering multiple courses in its investigation.

He assured the Maldives media and the public the government is “taking all necessary steps.”

The police have now deployed all resources for the search, Naseer added. He also appealed to the public to come forward with any information and contact the police via emergency number 911, hotline number 3322111 and mobile number 9888999.

Rilwan was last seen on the Malé – Hulhumalé ferry on August 8. However, his family and friends only reported him as missing on August 13 as he is known to drop out of contact for a few days periodically.

When asked if religious extremists were involved in Rilwan’s disappearance, Naseer said “it is not the time point fingers at specific groups.”

Rilwan had received threats from online anonymous Islamist groups for his social media activity. However, he did not report having received threats in the week leading up to his disappearance.

Blogger and journalist Ismail Hilath Rasheed had his throat slit in 2012 after publicly calling for religious tolerance. He narrowly survived, and has now sought asylum abroad. His attackers were never prosecuted and remain at large.

Security experts, with experience in counter terrorism, have told Minivan News that Rilwan was also considered a target.

Journalists and politicians have reported a spike in anonymous death threats in recent weeks. Authorities have failed to take any action regarding such threats.

The security experts have also alleged an alliance between radicals and gangs in the Maldives, as evident by a number of abductions in June. At the time, two men were briefly held and interrogated on their faith and accused of homosexuality and atheism.

The experts also suggested that many within the security forces had indeed themselves become radicalised – a claim previously made by the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP).

On Friday (August 15), members of Rilwan’s family received phone calls and were also approached outside a mosque with anonymous warnings to call off the search efforts of around 30 friends and relatives.

International groups including the UN’s Office of the Commissioner of Human Rights (OCHR) have called for a speedy and thorough investigation.

The OCHR has also called on the authorities to address any threats and initimidation and “do their utmost to ensure that they are able to operate without fear for their safety.”

Vice President Dr Mohamed Jameel Ahmed in a tweet today said: “We give full assurance to the family & public that everything possible is being done to find missing journalist.”

Representatives of Minivan News today met with diplomats representing Australia, Germany, the Netherlands, France, Canada, Switzerland and representatives from the EU delegation in Colombo regarding Rilwan’s disappearance.

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International concern over missing journalist grows while threats continue

Politicians and journalists have continued to receive death threats as international groups express concern regarding the disappearance of journalist Ahmed Rilwan 12 days ago.

“We call upon all parties to refrain from threatening media activists for performing their professional duties,” read a statement released by the Office for the United Nations Commissioner of Human Rights yesterday.

The statement also expressed concern at Rilwan’s disappearance while hoping for a prompt resolution to police investigations.

“We also urge the relevant authorities to address any threats and intimidation directed at journalists and other civil society activists and to do their utmost to ensure that they are able to operate without fear for their safety.”

Meanwhile, a text message sent to Minivan 97 journalist Aishath Aniya at 12.20pm today, from a sender identified as ‘ISIS’, read as follows:

“You are next on our hit list. Be careful when you walk alone. #fuckmoyameehaa.”

Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) MP Mariya Didi also reported a threat, apparently received from the same sender at 12:25pm warning, “we will not hesitate to disappear you. Have you forgotten you have a small daughter?”

Both politicians and journalists reported receiving threats earlier this month, with Rilwan himself reporting on the latter threats.

Representatives of Minivan News in Colombo met today with diplomats representing Australia, Germany, the Netherlands, France, Canada, Switzerland and representatives from the EU delegation regarding Rilwan’s disappearance.

Growing concern

Evidence obtained by Minivan News strongly suggests Rilwan, known as @moyameehaa on Twitter, may have been abducted. Security experts have suggested he was targetted as a result of his activities as a journalist and micro-blogger.

The Home Ministry has updated local media today on the progress of the investigation, with Home Minister Umar Naseer assuring that 40 of the country’s best officers were working on the case.

Yesterday also saw further statements on Rilwan’s case from the International Federation for Journalists (IFJ) with the South Asia Media Solidarity Network (SAMSN) and the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ).

The IFJ and SAMSN noted that Rilwan’s disappearance had come “at a time of increased tension in the Maldives with a spike in threats against the media by criminal gangs and religious extremists in recent weeks.”

A number of abductions and attacks targeting perceived secularists and homosexuals were reported prior to the Ramadan period, with a rise in gang violence following the Eid holidays.

“The disappearance of Ahmed Rilwan has now become a matter of grave concern as his whereabouts have not been known for 11 days. We urge the Maldivian government and concerned agencies to do everything possible to find him,” read the joint statement.

The IFJ and SAMSN comprise all major journalists’ trade unions and press freedom organisations in South Asia.

“Critical time has been lost in the search for Ahmed and if the government hopes to ensure journalists can continue in their duties to report freely and without fear in the Maldives.”

“For the sake of Ahmed’s family and media freedom, the circumstances of his disappearance must be determined as a matter of urgency and if there has been misadventure or deliberate intervention, then every effort must be put to locate those responsible,” the statement continued.

Additionally, the New York-based CPJ noted that Rilwan had been particularly critical of local politicians and Islamists, urging a thorough investigation.

“We are deeply concerned for the well-being of our colleague Ahmed Rilwan Abdulla,” said CPJ Deputy Director Robert Mahoney.

“We urge the authorities to leave no stone unturned in their efforts to find him.”

Reporters Without Borders have already lent their voice to calls for an expedited search for the 28-year-old human rights advocate.

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RSF urges government to deploy all necessary resources to find missing journalist

Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has called on the Maldives government to deploy all necessary resources to find missing Minivan News journalist Ahmed Rilwan Abdulla.

Minivan News strongly believes Rilwan was abducted in the early hours of August 8. The paper has received multiple eyewitness statements claiming they saw a man being forced into a car at knifepoint around 2 am on August 8 in front of Rilwan’s building.

“We are extremely worried by Rilwan’s disappearance and urge the authorities to step up their efforts to find him as quickly as possible,” said Reporters Without Borders secretary-general Christophe Deloire.

“There is every reason to be concerned about Rilwan, especially as gangs and religious extremists are very often responsible for threats to journalists. Ismail Hilath Rasheed, a freelance journalist known for his support for religious tolerance, only narrowly survived a murder attempt in June 2012.”

The press freedom advocacy group said they are “very concerned” about Rilwan’s disappearance and has urged “the Maldives authorities to deploy whatever resources are necessary to find him.”

The Maldives Police Services at a press conference on Sunday night said Rilwan’s case was of “high priority,” but declined to reveal details of the investigation.

Abduction

CCTV footage from the Hulhumalé ferry terminal in Malé, obtained by Minivan News, shows Rilwan entering the waiting area at 12:44am wearing a black shirt.

A tweet from Rilwan’s account @moyameeha at 1:02am implies he was on the one oclock ferry, suggesting he would have reached his apartment building between 1:30am and 2am on August 8. Another man who claimed to have sat next to Rilwan on the ferry has also been identified entering the ferry terminal at 12:45am on CCTV footage.

Neighbors claimed they heard screaming and rushed out on to their balcony. They saw a man being forced into a vehicle, from just 20 feet away.

The abductor described as a tall thin man dropped something on the ground as he got into the car after the captive. The car sped off, its door still open, eyewitnesses said.

A third neighbor went down to the street and found a knife on the ground. He subsequently notified the police, who took statements and confiscated the weapon.

Minivan News understands no other person has been reported missing from Hulhumalé.

Security experts with experience in counter terrorism have alleged an “unholy alliance” between gangs and religious radicals following a number of abductions in June, and told Minivan News Rilwan has been considered a target for his outspoken views.

Rilwan regularly reports on religious issues, politics and the environment.

The RSF has ranked Maldives 108th of 180 countries in the 2014 Reporters Without Borders press freedom index, marking a decline in press freedom for the third consecutive year.

The downgrading came after Raajje TV journalist Ibrahim ‘Asward’ Waheed was nearly beaten to death in February 2013 and the station’s offices and equipment were destroyed in an arson attack in October.

A staggering 84 percent of journalists in the Maldives in May reported receiving threats, from political parties, gangs and religious extremists.

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