Category: News in Brief

Amendments to Political Parties Act sent to committee amidst opposition MPs’ protest

Amendments submitted on behalf of the government to the Political Parties Act by ruling Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) MP Ahmed Azhan Fahmy was sent to committee at today’s sitting of parliament.

Preliminary debate and voting on the bill took place amidst protests by opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) MPs over the arrest and conviction of former President Mohamed Nasheed.

Opposition MPs have been protesting at every sitting since parliament returned from recess on March 2. Parliament has ceased providing live feed to television stations since the protests began.

According to the People’s Majlis secretariat, 20 MPs spoke during the debate. MDP MPs meanwhile used whistles and megaphones in their protest on the Majlis floor.

The amendments (Dhivehi) were accepted for consideration with 47 votes in favour and five abstentions and sent to the Independent Institutions Committee for further review.

The bill proposed abolishing or amending clauses in the political parties law that the Supreme Court had ruled were unconstitutional.

The amendments stipulate that a political party should have 3,000 registered members and 10,000 members to be eligible for state funding.

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Two MDP activists arrested on allegations of planning arson attacks

Police arrested two opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) activists on allegations of planning acts of arson on Friday night.

Shiyan Shafeeq ‘Shiyalhey’ and ‘Maalimee’ Ibrahim Ahmed were arrested on Friday night (March 13) during an MDP protest ahead of former President Mohamed Nasheed’s conviction on terrorism charges.

Nasheed was found guilty of ordering the arrest of Criminal Court Chief Judge Abdulla Mohamed in January 2012 and sentenced to 13 years in prison.

According to local media, the Criminal Court on Saturday extended the pair’s remand detention to ten days.

Police arrested 13 other protesters on Friday night, all of whom have since been released from custody.

Shiyalhey was also arrested in 2012 on allegations of disrupting public order, attacking security services personnel, and causing disturbances during anti-government demonstrations.

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UK MP Bruce condemns Nasheed’s terrorism sentence, reiterates calls for international sanctions

UK Conservative Party’s Human Rights Commission has called the Criminal Court’s decision to jail former President Mohamed Nasheed on terrorism charges a “blatant and grotesque injustice.”

Condemning the 13 year jail term, Chairman of the commission, MP Fiona Bruce reiterated calls on the international community to consider a drastic range of sanctions against President Abdulla Yameen’s regime.

These include targeted financial sanctions, freezing overseas assets, imposing travel bans, arms embargos, suspension from the Commonwealth and tourism boycotts.

“We need to use every means to put pressure on the Maldivian regime to permit an appeal by Mr Nasheed, release him, drop the charges, begin a political dialogue, and move towards the restoration of democracy, respect for human rights and the rule of law,” she said.

Bruce also expressed concern over the Criminal Court denying Nasheed legal representation, right to appeal and bail. The court had refused to hear evidence from his defence witnesses, she noted.

The ruling Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) last week condemned Bruce’s earlier calls for sanctions.

Referring to Bruce calling Nasheed “a champion of non-violent, peaceful democracy,” the PPM claimed the former president had “resorted to violent, unlawful, unconstitutional and undemocratic methods during his regime from 2008 to 2012, including the unlawful ‘abduction and isolation’ of the Criminal Court Chief Judge in 2012.”

“We are further baffled by her baseless allegation that Nasheed was ‘physically mistreated while in custody,’” the statement read.

“We would like to emphasise that he has been fully accorded his rights in line with the constitution and the laws of the Maldives.

The statement added that Nasheed had succeeded former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom – the PPM’s leader – “who had ushered in modern liberal democracy in the Maldives, in addition to transforming the country from one of the poorest five countries in the world to a flourishing economy with the highest per capita income in the whole of South Asia.”

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Villa Group contests US$100 million rent claim

Opposition leader Gasim Ibrahim’s Villa Group has contested a US$100million claim issued by the Tourism Ministry at the Civil Court.

The 30-day notice, issued on March 1, came after the ministry annulled agreements for seven islands leased to Villa Group. At the time, the ministry claimed Villa had failed to begin developing the islands as resorts.

The company last week requested the Civil Court to annul the US$100million claim as well as the Tourism Ministry’s decision to cancel the seven lease agreements.

Meanwhile, the opposition has alleged the government was targeting Gasim’s businesses following his split with the ruling Progressive Party of the Maldives and subsequent alliance with the Maldivian Democratic Party.

The Tourism Ministry in early February also moved to seize several lagoons granted to Villa Group, but was stalled following a Civil Court injunction. The High Court on February 24 overturned the stay order, paving the way for state appropriation.

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Majlis committee votes to approve Jaleel as Defence Minister

The People’s Majilis’ government oversight committee has approved Major General (retired) Moosa Ali Jaleel as Defense Minister, despite pending terrorism charges at the Criminal Court.

Five ruling coalition MPs voted in favor. Opposition MPs and one ruling Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) MP voted against the retired general.

“I refuse to vote for him because there are serious accusations against him. It is not right to approve him with all of these accusations,” said PPM MP Abdul Latheef Mohamed.

Jaleel was charged with terrorism along with former President Mohamed Nasheed for the military detention of Criminal Court Chief Judge Abdulla Mohamed in 2012.

On March 13, Nasheed was found guilty and sentenced to 13 years in prison.

President Abdulla Yameen appointed Jaleel as Defense Minister after dismissing Retired Colonel Mohamed Nazim from the position on January 20.

Nazim is currently standing trial for smuggling illegal weapons following the police’s controversial discovery of a gun and three bullets during a midnight raid on January 18.

Jaleel has previously participated in a rally demanding a speedy verdict for Nasheed.

The Criminal Court has scheduled a hearing for Jaleel tomorrow night (March 16) at 8.00 pm.

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18-year-old infanticide suspect arrested

An 18-year-old woman has been arrested on suspicion of infanticide in Noonu Atoll Velidhoo Island on Sunday.

According to the Maldives Police Services, the baby was buried soon after birth, but a search for the baby has not yielded any results yet.

The police said they are not yet clear on when the 18-year-old had given birth or when she had buried the baby.

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Hulhumalé doctor found dead

Anesthesiologist at Hulhumale’ Hospital, Dr Carain Zalyan, has been found dead at her home.

According to local media, the Russian national’s husband Dr. Go found her collapsed near her bed on Saturday. He had gone home to find her when she failed to answer calls.

Dr Go also works at the Hulhumalé Hospital. The hospital has declined to comment on the case.

The Maldives Police Services has been informed of the death.

The causes of Dr Zalyan’s death remain unclear.

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Police dismiss reporters’ terror claim against Criminal Court

The Maldives Police Services has rejected a complaint filed by three journalists alleging the Criminal Court had abducted them inside the Justice Building on Friday night (March 13).

The journalists from CNM, state broadcaster Television Maldives (TVM) and Avas said court clerks refused repeated requests to let them out of the building to inform their readers of the outcome of a 9:15pm hearing in former President Mohamed Nasheed’s terrorism trial.

All trial observers and journalists were held for nearly two hours inside the building after the initial hearing, as judges deliberated on a verdict.  They were not allowed to use their phones or communicate with the reporters gathered outside.

Journalists and observers had not previously been informed a verdict would be delivered on the same night.

When Mohamed Afsal, Misbah Abbas and Muizz Ibrahim reiterated requests to be allowed to leave the courthouse, court officials refused to allow them outside or inside the courtroom for the verdict later. The three were held in the waiting area until the verdict was delivered.

The journalists accused the Criminal Court of kidnapping and terrorism.

However, police dismissed the case stating they do not have the jurisdiction to investigate the case, and recommended the complaint be filed at the Judicial Services Commission instead.

The Criminal Court had previously barred opposition aligned Rajje TV journalists from attending court proceedings, claiming a journalist from the private broadcaster had threatened Judge Abdul Bari Yoosuf, one of the three judges who presided over Nasheed’s trial.

The station has denied the court’s claims.

 

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PPM condemns statement by British MP Fiona Bruce

The ruling Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) has condemned a statement issued by British MP Fiona Bruce, chairperson of the Conservative Party Human Rights Commission, in which she urged the international community to consider imposing sanctions on senior Maldivian government officials.

Bruce had called the terrorism trial of former President Mohamed Nasheed a “grotesque travesty of justice.”

Referring to Bruce calling Nasheed “a champion of non-violent, peaceful democracy,” the PPM claimed in a statement released in English last week that the former president had “resorted to violent, unlawful, unconstitutional and undemocratic methods during his regime from 2008 to 2012, including the unlawful ‘abduction and isolation’ of the Criminal Court Chief Judge in 2012.”

“We are further baffled by her baseless allegation that Nasheed was ‘physically mistreated while in custody,'” the statement read.

“We would like to emphasise that he has been fully accorded his rights in line with the constitution and the laws of the Maldives.

“If Chairperson Bruce wants to adhere to her unfounded accusations, we urge her to show proof of any ‘physical mistreatment’ of Nasheed while in custody, not ‘bandwagon’ without basic ‘fact checks.’ We also wish to tell her that, according to the constitution, the government cannot drop the charges against Nasheed, or anyone else.”

The statement added that Nasheed had succeeded former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom – the PPM’s leader – “who had ushered in modern liberal democracy in the Maldives, in addition to transforming the country from one of the poorest five countries in the world to a flourishing economy with the highest per capita income in the whole of South Asia.”

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