Tag: harassment

Police arrest man after group threatens to throw President’s Office adviser off ferry

President’s Office adviser Ahmed ‘Topy’ Thaufeeq has alleged to local media that he was verbally and physically harassed by supporters of the opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) as he tried to travel to Hulhumale’ on a public ferry yesterday (July 19).

A reporter for Sun Online claimed to have personally witnessed Thaufeeq being forced to leave the ferry at about 12:30am on Friday before it embarked on its journey. Local media reported that a group, apparently supporters of the MDP, began pushing Thaufeeq as he tried to sit down, before using abusive language and threatening to “throw him off the boat”.

Police confirmed that a 28 year-old male had been arrested on charges of indecent assault over an incident involving Thaufeeq. Police said nobody was injured in the incident, while the individual arrested at the time was not believed to be linked to any particular party.

Thaufeeq was not responding when contacted today.

President’s Office “appalled”

President Office Media secretary Masood Imad, travelling outside of Male’ at time of press, said he had not been personally made aware of the alleged harassment of Thufeeq. Masood did however call on members of the public to exercise restraint no matter their political affiliation in the build up to this year’s presidential election.

“I am surprised and am appalled, this is just not acceptable,” he said of the reported harassment of a President’s Office official. “All parties must exercise restraint before the election and be conscious of the impression we give to the international community. Irrespective of political party, we all want a transparent election.”

Masood told Minivan News that he had not himself been personally confronted by individuals while out on the streets of the Maldives, though he accepted there had been occasions where he was verbally abused by groups, who allegedly called him a ‘baaghee’ (traitor).

“It is the people calling others ‘baaghee’ who are the baaghees,” he said.

Masood claimed that he was personally careful to “mind my own business” when he was out in Male’, limiting the possibility of confrontation.  However, he said that Thaufeeq would have had very little option but to use the public ferry to travel to Hulhumale’.

“From our view, in the remaining days up to the election – presently scheduled for September 7, 2013 – people must exercise restraint with emotions and feelings running so high,” he said.

Opposition concern

The MDP today distanced itself from the alleged harassment, while questioning whether those involved truly did belong to the party.

MDP MP and Spokesperson Hamid Abdul Ghafoor instead accused of the government of wishing to create conditions where the upcoming election would not be held, adding therefore that the opposition party was wary of giving any reasons to create such a situation through violence.

“We do not believe that this is really involving our supporters or those belong to the party’s colours necessarily,” he claimed. “We believe that there are attempts to smear us as a party.”

However, Ghafoor claimed that considering the controversial nature of the transfer of power that brought the present government into office on February 7, 2012, there was significant public anger towards individuals affiliated with the state.

Former President Mohamed Nasheed – presently the MDP’s presidential candidate for this year’s election – resigned from office on February 7, 2012 after sections of the police and military mutinied against him. Both Nasheed and the MDP later alleged he was ousted in a “coup d’etat”, accusations later dismissed by a Commonwealth-backed Commission of National Inquiry (CNI) that concluded there had been no coup, no duress and no mutiny.

With the MDP continuing to accuse police of violent conduct and politically-motivated arrests, Ghafoor said he had not been surprised that some government figures may face public anger in the current political climate.

“From my party’s view, they have brought this on themselves when they sided with mutineers,” he added.

Despite the claim, Ghafoor said he believed the MDP had been the most responsible party since the transfer of power by advocating for political rather than violent solutions, instead accusing government-aligned parties of turning to “thugs” to destabilise the election process.

“Things are simmering right no, so it is a major concern of the party that we do our campaigning peacefully,” he said.

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Police investigating Fahmy’s alleged sexual harassment of a female staff

Police have said they are investigating the Chair of Civil Service Commission (CSC) Fahmy Hassan on allegations that he had sexually harassed female senior research officers working at the CSC.

Police Spokesperson Sub-Inspector Hassan Haneef today said that the case was lodged at police and police were investigating.

He said the investigations were still ongoing and did not disclose further information.

Parliament’s Independent Institutions Committee has also launched an investigation into alleged harassment of a female staff member by Fahmy.

Local newspaper Haveeru reported that the incident occurred on May 29 and the victim was a female senior research officer.

According to the paper, both Fahmy and the victim were summoned to committee after the complaint was lodged in the first week of June.

Fahmy was alleged to have called the female staff member over to him, taken her hand and asked her to stand in front of him so that others in the office could not see, and caressed her stomach saying ”it won’t do for a beautiful single woman like you to get fat.”

According to local media, the woman told her family about the incident, who then called Fahmy. Fahmy then sent her a text message apologising for the incident, reportedly stating, ”I work very closely with everyone. But I have learned my lesson this time.”

In response to the allegations Fahmy told Minivan News that the female staff made up the allegation after she knew she did not win a scholarship to Singapore offered by the CSC.

He alleged the claim was politically motivated issue, as she would have otherwise filed the case with police and not parliament.

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Amnesty calls on government to investigate allegations of sexual harassment of female detainees by police

Amnesty International has called on the government to investigate allegations that police beat and sexually harassed four women detained during an anti-government rally.

“While in detention they were forced to undergo naked body checks on the spurious suspicion of concealing drugs in their genitals. They were forced to strip and squat several times while in prison,” Amnesty stated, after gathering testimony from the women.

“There is no indication that the women protesters were involved in any acts of violence during the rally. Their detention therefore was arbitrary. Cases of molestation and other humiliating sexual acts against women have been reported in the past, but these latest allegations highlight a new police drive to suppress political activity under the pretext of body searching female detainees for alleged possession of drugs,” the human rights organisation stated.

“The beating and sexual harassment of political detainees under the pretext that they are suspected of possessing drugs must end. None of the four women detainees had been arrested on that suspicion so there was no justification for the searches, said Amnesty researcher Abbas Faiz.

Amnesty sought testimony from four women.

Twenty-two year-old Yusra Hussein told Amnesty that she was arrested by four female officers on March 19, who “beat me as they handcuffed me. They beat me on my stomach, which was very painful as I had had a caesarean section in the past. They grabbed my breasts and twisted them.”

After she was taken to Dhoonidoo detention centre, “They beat me with electric cables. I still have marks of their beating on my body. They then forced me to strip naked and made me squat on the floor. They took a urine test and did a body check on me.

“They forced me to sit in that position for a body check several time. Each time I felt sick but they paid no attention. They just wanted to humiliate me as they were shouting filthy words at me all the while,” Hussein told Amnesty.

Aishath Muna told Amnesty that police arrested her after she had taken another female protester to hospital.

“Police had pepper sprayed the protester and she had been feeling sick. When Aishath Muna returned to the MDP offices, two police women arrested her. She said the handcuffs which they used on her were very tight. She complained but they took no notice. She was then taken to Dhoonidhoo detention centre where she was forced to take off her clothes and undergo a body check,” Amnesty reported.

Another woman, 44 year-old Mariyam Waheeda, told Amnesty International that two women police officers who detained her on 19 March beat her “and dragged her along the floor. They grabbed her breasts and twisted them while handcuffing her. She said they took her to the police station and only released her after she convinced them she had not taken part in the protest rallies.”

The fourth woman, Aishath Aniya, “said she had been forced to undergo a urine test, was made to take off her T-shirt, bra and jeans, and was told to squat three times.”

“The Maldives has an image as a luxury holiday destination, and over the past few years, it had established a positive track record on human rights. But the fact is at the moment, not only is repression of peaceful political protest an everyday reality, it has taken an appalling new twist with this cruel and degrading treatment,” said Faiz.

“The government of Maldives must ensure that these allegations are investigated and that those found to be responsible are brought to justice.”

Amnesty noted the police response denying the allegations and recommendation that the women concerned contact the Human Rights Commission of the Maldives (HRCM).

“HRCM has told Amnesty International that they have serious limitations in terms of trained investigative staff and dealing with human rights issues in a highly politicised environment is an overwhelming challenge for them,” Amnesty noted.

“By referring cases of police abuse of power to the HRCM, when it is clear that such investigations are beyond its capacity, the government is in effect forfeiting its own responsibility to enforce respect for human rights within the police force,” said Faiz.

HRCM had yet to complete investigations into the alleged sexual harassment of female detainees in 2004, Amnesty noted.

“This is the wrong message to give to the police as it will encourage police officers to violate human rights with impunity. The Maldives government must ensure that the right to freedom of assembly and expression is protected at all times.”

HRCM is currently investigating former President Mohamed Nasheed’s detention of chief Judge of the Criminal Court, Abdulla Mohamed. Former Home Minister Hassan Afeef was summoned for questioning yesterday.

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