Tag: maldives news

Man arrested for keeping disabled son in chains

A 50-year-old man has been arrested for keeping his disabled son bound in chains at Baa Atoll Eydhafushi.

Haveeru reported that the case of the 23-year-old was brought to the attention of the relevant authorities by the Baa Atoll hospital after he was treated for a head injury, with police finding him bound in chains upon arriving at his house.

Meanwhile, the gender ministry and police have started investigating a case in Kaafu Atoll Guraidhoo involving the alleged abuse of 12 children.

According to information obtained by Haveeru, a gender ministry team has been deployed to the island to investigate the case, which was first brought to the attention of Guraidhoo School by a concerned parent.

“This involves children between grade 1 and 7. Some of the children have admitted to being abused. We have found out that these kids are being abused by the same group of people,” an unnamed source told the paper.

Last week, local child protection NGO Advocating the Rights of Children (ARC) said that the recent increase in reports of child abuse cases following the death of Rakeedhoo toddler Mohamed Ibthihaal was only the “tip of the iceberg”.

The high profile case of Ibthihaal resulted in a spike in reports of child abuse to the police and gender ministry as the public and media campaigned to raise awareness on the issue.

Source: Haveeru

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JP defection is no loss to government, says Gayoom

The Jumhooree Party’s (JP) departure from the Progressive Coalition causes no loss to the government, says Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) leader and former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom.

Arriving in Malé after attending an environmental forum in New Delhi, Gayoom told media that the current government remains “strong and steadfast”.

“Initially, we had a coalition between three political parties, now there is one between two. The coalition with JP broke apart due to some disagreements that arose a while ago. However, the coalition with MDA [Maldives Development Alliance] remains very strong,” he said.

The JP has today responded by suggesting that the PPM leader was unwilling to see violations committed by the ruling coalition.

The party officially joined the opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) last week, after having officially left the coalition, though relations with the PPM were effectively severed in May last year.

After describing the opposition’s claims to be defending the Constitution as laughable last week, Gayoom again criticised the agreement.

“If they claim to be protecting the Constitution, then they must also tell us exactly how the incumbent government has acted against the Constitution. They haven’t been able to do so. The truth is, they don’t really have much of essence to say about this,” he told media.

The former 30-year ruler asserted that the administration of his half-brother Abdulla Yameen respects the Constitution, rejecting claims that the replacement of the auditor general last October, and the dismissal of two Supreme Court judges in December, was unconstitutional.

He insisted that those actions cannot be described as undermining the Constitution, as they were taken “lawfully through the establishment of laws”.

“These laws are made in ways that the Constitution allow us to. We can’t make any laws that go against the Constitution, as the contradicting clauses will themselves become void. So these actions were conducted in accordance with what the Constitution stipulates,” he explained.

Doesn’t want to see: JP

JP Spokesperson Ahmed Sameer has subsequently dismissed Gayoom’s comments, stating that the current government’s unconstitutional actions are “apparent for all to see”, suggesting that Gayoom chooses not to acknowledge them.

“Gayoom sees them, knows about them, and is deliberately using the majority that the PPM currently has to undermine the rights of the people,” alleged Sameer.

“We citizens should be deeply concerned if a man who ruled for such a long time cannot even recognise violations of people’s rights while it is happening right in front of him”.

He went on to give various instances in which the party believes the government has acted unconstitutionally.

“One of the first statements by the President’s Spokesperson was a justification of why President Yameen did not mention the judiciary in his presidential address in the parliament. He then said that the judiciary is absolutely strong and without fault. Why then did he bring such a major change to such a solid institution later on?” asked Sameer.

The spokesman went on to say that, when deciding which two judges to remove from the Supreme Court bench, the government had dismissed two of the judges most trusted by the public, while allowing a “disgraced judge” to remain in position.

He also pointed to the proposed constitutional amendment submitted to parliament, seeking to restrict persons over 65 years of age from running for presidency.

“The constitution clearly states that any citizen can run for an elected position. How then can this amendment be in accordance with the law?” he asked.

“It is a deeply concerning matter that Gayoom is turning a blind eye to the atrocities against the Constitution being committed by the rule of his party,” Sameer concluded.

The Progressive Coalition currently controls 49 of the Majlis’ 85 seats, while the opposition alliance – which has pledged to work together both inside and outside the Majlis – has a combined 34 MPs.


Related to this story

Gasim defiant as opposition sign agreement to defend Constitution

Opposition alliance a “waste of time”, says Gayoom

Judiciary excluded from presidential address due to Yameen’s trust in the institution

Majlis removes Chief Justice Ahmed Faiz, Justice Muthasim Adnan from Supreme Court

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Public urged not to try catching crocodiles as sightings increase

The Maldives National Defense Force has urged the public to refrain from trying to catch crocodiles without assistance as sightings around the country continue to rise.

MNDF information officer Major Adnan told Avas that as crocodiles are listed as dangerous animals, it is inadvisable to try and catch them without proper assistance, and that such attempts could end in disaster.

“It is important to call the authorities as soon as you see the crocodile. Sometimes, MNDF have been contacted after the crocodile flees an unsuccessful attempt to capture it. It is then very hard to track and find the animal,” said Major Adnan.

Crocodile sightings have been on the rise after a 10 foot specimen was captured in Laamu Kalhaidhoo last month, with Avas reporting that seven crocodile sightings have subsequently been received by authorities – mostly in the north of the country.

While crocodiles are not native to the Maldives, it is believed that the increased crocodile sightings coincide with the beginning of the Iruvai (North Eastern) monsoon.

Source: Avas

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Family of missing Maail criticise police response

The family of 24-year-old Abdulla Maail, reported missing on January 27, has expressed concerns that police have been negligent in their investigation of his disappearance.

Lhaimagu Island Council has echoed these concerns, saying they are “not at all satisfied” with the manner the police have handled parts of the investigation.

Maail – from Dhaalu Atoll Kudahuvadhoo – went missing from the uninhabited island of Firunbaidhoo in Shaviyani Atoll, where he was employed on an agriculture project.

Only one other person, 62-year-old Hassan Ali, was on the island at the time of the disappearance. He reported Maail to be missing on the afternoon of January 27, according to police.

Police officials have denied the suggestions of negligence, saying that the search up to this point had been prompt and thorough.

‘Delays narrow chances of finding Maail’: Council

Lhaimagu Councillor Ahmed Shinan said the police had taken long time to respond after the disappearance was reported, expressing concern that the chances of finding Maail had subsequently narrowed.

“Hassan Ali told us, in the presence of other council members and police, that he reported Maail’s disappearance to police at 4.30pm. Police, however, did not arrive on the island until after 11pm that night,” claimed the councillor.

“It took over 6 hours for police to come, when the distance between Firunbaidhoo and Fonadhoo can be travelled in just under 10 minutes by speedboat. We heard later from the island’s proprietor that police refused to come until he arranged speed boat transfer for them”.

Police today acknowledged  some “transportation challenges” after the case was reported, but said they had begun work on the case immediately after being alerted.

“We only received reports at 6.30pm and I think police reached the scene around 9pm,” a media official told Minivan News.

According to the Shinan, however, locals waited hours for police to arrive at the scene.

Locals search the island of Firunbaidhoo

“This was valuable time wasted when we could have commenced the search for Maail. We’re talking about a human being that’s gone missing, not some petty robbery. We cannot afford to be careless in the investigation,” he said.

Shinan said that the police had left the island unattended after the initial search, giving potentially guilty parties an opportunity to eliminate or tamper with evidence.

He also argued that witnesses had not been investigated thoroughly enough, suggesting that reports of a supply dinghy having visited the island minutes before Maail’s absence was realised could be key.

The councillor also expressed disappointment that it took police over two days to begin searching the sea.

Police have denied the delay, saying that the coast guard-assisted search began the day after the reported disappearance. Officials declined from giving further details as the investigation continues.

Family feels unsupported

Maail’s brother Mohamed Shifau has travelled to the capital Malé from Meemu atoll, after the family had been unable to contact Shaviyani police.

“We have continuously tried calling the head of the Shaviyani Police Station to ask for updates on the investigation, but he hasn’t answered our calls even once in the past week,” he told Minivan News.

“There are certain aspects of the investigation that we believe the police overlooked, some people that they haven’t questioned, and so on. We shared that information with the police in Malé.”

The family have also sent a letter outlining their concerns to the Commissioner of Police Hussain Waheed, though they have as yet received no reply.

Dissatisfied with the response from police, Shifau appealed to politicians for assistance, meeting with politicians across the spectrum.

“The Shaviyani Atoll Fonadhoo constituency’s parliamentarian Ali Saleem met with us, but said he could give us no more than five minutes. He stated that the police will investigate the matter and there is nothing else he can do for us,” Shifau explained.

After failing to contact Kudahuvadhoo constituency MP Ahmed Amir, Shifau met with the opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP).

“The MDP was very sympathetic, and Chairperson Ali Waheed promptly arranged a meeting with a committee from the party. They provided assistance by guiding our family on future steps that can be taken,” Shifau said.

(PHOTOS: LHAIMAGU ONLINE)

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Former Defense Minister brought to Police for statement

Former Defense Minister Colonel (retired) Mohamed Nazim was brought  to the Maldives Police Services (MPS) headquarters to give a statement last night (February 7).

A police media official told Minivan News that Nazim was summoned in order to obtain a statement regarding the ongoing investigation into weapons found at Nazim’s home.

Nazim’s lawyer Maumoon Hameed – who has replaced former Attorney General Azima Shukoor as Nazim’s legal representative – confirmed that he and some of his family members have provided the police with statements.

“I would like to reiterate that Nazim has been assisting the police with this investigation since day one,” Hameed told Minivan News today. “In doing so, Nazim and members of his family provided DNA samples and fingerprints to the police.”

The MPS had previously revealed that it found a pistol and a makeshift explosive device at Nazim’s home during a raid under a court warrant in the early hours of January 18.

Speaking to the media on January 29, Commissioner of Police (CP) Hussein Waheed said that, after searching Nazim’s home using “forced entry”, police found a 9mm handgun, an improvised explosive device, 3 bullets, and a magazine.

Nazim’s lawyer immediately released a statement denying that the items found were there with the former minister’s knowledge.

“The items claimed to have been found at Colonel Mohamed Nazim’s residence by Police Commissioner Hussein Waheed do not belong to Colonel Nazim or his family, and if there were any items were present at the house, they were there without Colonel Nazim’s or his family’s knowledge,” read the statement.

Both Nazim and his wife’s passport have been withheld by authorities, with Commissioner Waheed explaining that police did not consider taking Nazim into custody to be the “best course of action to proceed depending on his profile”.

“However, as you can see we have prevented him from leaving abroad,” he added.

Additionally, Commissioner Waheed said that police had written to the Maldivian National Defense Force to verify ownership of the weaponry, being informed that no items were missing from the military’s inventory.

Police have maintained that the service was not aware it was Nazim’s home until after the raid, noting that they had adhered to international best practices and that Nazim was present during the search.

Waheed described the weapons as “very dangerous”, saying that, while the handgun could be lethal, the explosive device when matched with another component could cause “large scale destruction”.

Nazim – who was also acting health minister and head of immigration – was dismissed from his post on January 20, three days after the police raid.

Speaking to the media at the time, Nazim said that events had shown that no Maldivian was assured of safety and security.

“This gives an alarming signal that entering any house, at any time and to do anything is possible. The defence minister is the most senior official standing beside the president,” he told the press immediately following his dismissal.

Police have since suggested that Nazim was questioned regarding the weapons but that he had failed to adequately respond to the questions.


Related to this story

Pistol and explosive device found at Nazim’s home, says Police Commissioner

Dismissed Defence Minister’ passport held by authorities

Items confiscated by police do not belong to Nazim or his family, say lawyers

Police raid Defence Minister Nazim’s home in early hours

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Amnesty calls for moratorium on flogging in Maldives

Amnesty International has called upon the Maldives to establish a moratorium on flogging, and to annul all convictions for the crime of fornication.

The human rights NGO has made the recommendations as part of its submission for the 60th session of the Committee on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women later this month.

“Laws criminalizing ‘fornication’ or ‘adultery’ can act as a deterrent to women and girls reporting rape because they fear being prosecuted if their allegations are not believed,” reads the submission.

The committee is the body of independent experts that monitors implementation of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW).

In its submission for the UN Human Rights Council’s Universal Periodic Review, released last month, Amnesty argued that human rights in the Maldives in general had deteriorated over the past four years.

While having ratified CEDAW in 1993, the Maldives has maintained reservations to any provision which may contradict the principles of Islamic Sharia enshrined in the country’s Constitution.

“As frequently highlighted by UN treaty bodies and UN Special Procedures, including CEDAW, flogging constitutes a cruel, inhuman or degrading punishment and the criminalization of fornication is a violation of the rights to privacy and bodily autonomy,” said Amnesty.

The NGO reported that attempts to gain statistics of the incidence of flogging from the Prosecutor General’s Office had been unsuccessful.

New regulations for flogging introduced by the Supreme Court last October noted that the offender must be of sound mind, must not be pregnant, and must not have an illness that could endanger his or her life due to flogging.

Moreover, a sentence for flogging must be implemented after the convict has either exhausted the appeal process or declined to appeal the verdict in the specified period.

Information previously made available by the Department of Judicial Administration showed that, while applicable to both men and women, flogging is largely discriminatory against women in practice.

“In 2013, the office of the Prosecutor General told Amnesty International that convictions were primarily based on confessions, and that if the accused denied the allegations, the charge of ‘fornication’ would normally be dropped,” read the report.

“The office said men usually denied such allegations, and were therefore not charged. This was also true for some women, unless they had become pregnant or were under pressure from their communities. In such cases they admitted to the allegations and were charged.”

Additionally, Amnesty’s submission to the committee recommends that the Maldives bring laws on rape and other forms of sexual violence into line with international human rights standards.

Amnesty also called upon government to investigate and prosecute all allegations of rape and other forms of sexual violence and ensure that anyone who reports rape or other forms of sexual violence is provided with appropriate support services.

While polls conducted in recent years suggest that two thirds of Maldivians would support a moratorium on the practice, public criticism of the practice has caused unrest.

After UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay called for a moratorium while speaking in the People’s Majlis in 2011, protesters gathered outside the United Nations Building in Malé, calling for her arrest.


Related to this story

The culture of flogging in the Maldives: a systematic abuse of human rights

Two-thirds of Maldivians back moratorium on flogging: survey

Supreme Court enacts new regulations on flogging

Maldives’ human rights worsening, Amnesty tells UN

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Gasim defiant as opposition sign agreement to defend Constitution

Opposition leaders have attacked the leadership of President Abdulla Yameen as the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) and Jumhooree Party (JP) officially signed an agreement to defend the Constitution.

“It is becoming too apparent that President Yameen is headed towards establishing a dictatorial rule,” said former President Mohamed Nasheed at the signing ceremony in Malé’s carnival area on Thursday evening.

JP leader Gasim, meanwhile, railed against persistent attacks on his business interests as more reports emerged of setbacks to the Maamigili MP’s personal investments.

“President Maumoon [Abdul Gayoom] can laugh but tell me which part of the Constitution allows the state to seize people’s property and businesses unfairly and unjustly, without even compensation?”

Former President Gayoom last week suggested that talk of defending the country’s Constitution made him laugh, arguing that the current government has not violated the document.

The opposition has accused Yameen’s administration of breaching the Constitution, in particular through the removal of the auditor general and two Supreme Court judges late last year.

The live feed to Thursday’s ceremony- supplied by Gasim’s VTV – was cut prior to the event, with reports that the cable had been vandalised. The transmission was subsequently provided via the MDP-aligned Raajje TV.

Home Minister Umar Naseer has this afternoon (February 7) announced his decision to leave the JP as result of the party’s “new course”.

Gasim defiant

Former Yameen ally Gasim challenged his opponents to take his assets, suggesting the government had no legitimacy following the withdrawal from the Progressive Coalition.

“You were elected with my support. I can guarantee you that you will not receive 51 percent of Maldivian votes. Forget it.”

Gasim’s eventual support for the Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) candidate Yameen – a decision his party said had been made democratically by its council at the time – tipped the balance in the much-delayed 2013 presidential poll.

The JP’s national council officially announced the end of its alliance with the PPM last month – in effect defunct since Gasim’s decision to stand for Majlis Speaker in May – handing its leader the authority to strike an alliance with the MDP.

The JP’s opposition to key government legislation last year saw Gasim receive setbacks to his businesses, as well as physical threats against his person – both of which the party blamed on Gasim’s former political allies.

“You can seize everything, take it. Take it. After all, things can only be taken from people who have them,” he told those at Thursday night’s rally.

“Yameen, do not think that a well-built man can come and shoot me with a gun. No, No, No. I am not afraid even one bit.”

Former President Nasheed also addressed those present – including senior representatives from both parties.

Nasheed reiterated suggestions that the repeated failure of governing coalitions demonstrated that a parliamentary system was required for the Maldives.

“The Maldivian people want a parliamentary system of governance, a system without a president who is too powerful, a system in which a coalition of political parties can govern,” said Nasheed.

In a 2007 referendum, approximately 62 percent of the public backed the presidential form of governance ahead of the country’s first multi-party elections.

At the time, both the MDP and President Yameen’s former party, the Progressive Alliance, supported the parliamentary system, while then President Gayoom supported a presidential system.

Nasheed’s own electoral coalition – which included Gasim’s JP – fell apart soon after his 2008 election, with the subsequent anti-government alliance forcing his resignation in February, 2012.

The agreement

Thursday night’s rally saw the distribution of the agreement, which pledges to “defend the spirit of the Constitution and do everything necessary to guarantee the rule of law”.

The agreement pledges to prevent the passing of any propositions in the People’s Majlis against the letter or the spirit of the Constitution, both inside and outside of the Majlis.

Together, the two parties control 34 seats in the 85-seat legislature, although MDP internal party discipline had been a decisive issue in recent votes – most notably in December’s vote to remove Chief Justice Ahmed Faiz and Justice Muthasim Adnan.

The agreement pledges that the parties will cooperate to hold the government accountable for Constitutional breaches, as well as working to defend those subjected to intimidation by the authorities.

Signatories to the agreement pledged to: “investigate and cooperate to bring an end to Government intimidation against the general public, journalists, state owned companies, employees, business leaders, youth, independent institutions, and politicians”.

To these ends, the parties agreed to form an Inter-Party Commission and a joint parliamentary committee within ten days,


Related to this story

Opposition alliance a “waste of time”, says Gayoom

MDP and JP reach agreement on defence of Constitution

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Maldives’ records show 60mm sea-level rise in last 20 years, says Gayoom

Former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom has told the 15th Delhi Sustainable Development Summit that recordings in the Maldives show sea levels rose by 60mm in the last 20 years.

While speaking at the summit today (January 5), Gayoom said that changes to the Maldives’ environment in the last 20 years were concerning and far worse than previously estimated, adding that global warming is one of the biggest problems faced by island nations.

“We are seeing many changes in the environment which were not present when the Millennium Development Goals were set up, small nations like us are concerned about this,” said the former president.

Gayoom has recently called upon leaders of developed nations to allow small island states to lead the world in efforts to combat climate change, with the Maldives recently becoming chair of the Alliance of Small Island States.

This year marks the third time Gayoom has spoken at the Delhi summit, organised by The Energy and Resources Institute, picking up a sustainable development award in 2009.

Source: Haveeru

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International rowing tour to begin in Addu this weekend

The Maldives is to hold an international rowing tour in the southern atolls, organised by the Rowing Association of Maldives, World Rowing Federation, and Addu City Council.

The tour, which will see 19 international rowers participating, is set to start at Gan with the route taking the athletes through nine islands in Huvadhoo Atoll and Fuvahmulah before concluding at Gaafu Dhaalu Thinadhoo.

Rowing Association of Maldives President Ahmed Habeeb told Haveeru said that the tour will kick off on February 7 and will finish on February 16

Habeeb said that he believes that this tour will help advertise Addu to the world, and help boost tourism in the atoll.

The Maldives joined the International Rowing Federation in 2010, just months after British Olympic rower Guin Batten broke the record for the solo crossing of the Zero Degree Channel between Huvadhoo and Fuvahmulah.

Source: Haveeru

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