Police and military are “ransacking Addu City”, former President Mohamed Nasheed claimed in a meeting with press today, in retaliation for the destruction of police and court buildings on the islands on Wednesday night.
Addu is a stronghold of the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) and is the second most populated area in the Maldives, after Male’. Together, both cities make up 50 percent of the country’s population, and councilors at both were unanimously voted in on MDP tickets in last year’s local council elections.
Today, Nasheed claimed members of former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom’s Progressive Party of the Maldives (PPM) are “dragging people out from their homes and asking them if they are MDP or PPM. If they say MDP, they are spraying them with pepper, beating them and arresting them.”
Nasheed claimed that individuals in Addu have been stripped and handcuffed. Other sources in Addu claimed said that those arrested were being on Coast Guard vessels following the destruction of police and court buildings in the wake of the police crackdown on Wednesday afternoon. Fishermen reportedly claimed to have heard the sound of weeping coming from the moored vessels.
Minivan News was contacted by a man, identifying himself as an MDP supporter, who claimed to have been “arrested and beaten” yesterday on Hithadhoo in Addu City, at 1:30pm. He said he was released on Thursday night at 7:30pm.
He believes he was targeted because the Dhivehi Rayithunge Party (DRP) in Addu sent a list of people who had participated in protests to the police.
He was taken from his house with his family: “They threw my sister like a dog, and said all kinds of very bad words to my parents.”
He said he was dragged from his house and trodden on by the military, then cuffed and thrown into their pickup “like a dog.”
He was taken to Gan with 33 others where the station had been burned.
“They poured petrol around us and said: “We will burn you, we can do anything because no one knows where are you are and no one will come to save you.”
The military and police members allegedly removed some peoples’ clothes, sprayed them with pepper spray, and made them all “dance like dolls. They were doing it for their own entertainment, smiling and laughing.”
He was released at 7:30pm last night. “They said ‘Tell no one I’ve seen this kind of thing or you will never see your family again.'”
He reported that the military and police were still searching for people on Friday evening. Mayor Abdul Sodig was said to be in hiding.
Military and police officials are going around with members of the opposition, the MDP supporter claimed. He also said those who attacked him had told his family at his house: “Now this is our government. We can do anything we want.”
Similar events were occurring in Thinadhoo and Fuvahmulah, also in the country’s south, former President Nasheed said: “We are losing a country as we speak.”
Minivan News was today informed that Ibrahim ‘Ibra’ Ismail, former member of the Special Majlis and the committee responsible for drafting the new Constitution, had flown to Addu with several lawyers to assess the situation in the remote island. The team was reportedly attacked, beaten and had their phones taken.
Several media outlets, including some foreign outlets, were scheduled to fly to Addu this evening with MDP representatives, but the trip was called off after organisers claimed that the violence had spread and they were unable to guarantee reporters’ safety at night.
Police statement
Police Spokesman Ahmed Shiyam said any arrests made by police would be conducted legally. Approximately 70 people were being questioned, he said, and noted that court warrants had been issued for the arrest of several others. He said he had no knowledge of people being held on boats.
Meanwhile new Commissioner of Police Abdhulla Riyaz has in a statement requested that the Police Integrity Commission (PIC) and Human Rights Commission of the Maldives closely monitor the treatment of all those who are brought into police custody related to the investigation of disturbances on the evening of February 8, which he said had “caused severe damage and harm to government and public property and as well as police personnel.”
“During these disturbances that occured in Male as well as other regions of the Maldives, several police stations and the police traning school in Addu was torched and severely damaged,” the statement read.
“The Commissioner of Police has instructed all police officials who are involved in this investigation to protect the rights of the detainees including the right to an attorney, right to food and other entitled human rights. The police commssioner also assured that all individuals who will be arrested with regard to the above disturbances will only be arrested in accordance with the constitution, rules and regulations of Maldives.”
During his meeting today, former President Nasheed said “I believe that what the people of this country want is clear from what is happening on the streets. We can bring the government to our terms by demonstrating on the streets, but I fear it is not the best course of action.”
He noted that the opposition “was only able to gather 300 to 400 people” each night during three weeks of protests against the detention of Chief Judge of the Criminal Court, Abdulla Mohamed.
On Thursday morning the Criminal Court issued a warrant for Nasheed’s arrest, however police had not complied with it by Friday evening.
International support
Nasheed said that his party was not depending on the international community to bring fresh elections to the Maldives, and was relying on the Maldivian people to make their feelings felt: “In the absence of international support, we will have to go back to the streets and demonstrate”, Nasheed said. “We cannot join this government as we believe it is illegal.”
A Vice President, Nasheed contended, was expected to carry out the policies of the government were he to replace the sitting President: “He is not supposed to find a new cabinet or new policies.”
Nasheed also commented that he had been “aware for some time” that Dr Waheed had met with opposition leaders in his home, and in the last month “it was obvious” that he had leanings towards the opposition. He added that Dr Waheed’s party “hasn’t a single seat” in Parliament, and said he could “not see how would get a cabinet approved. How can he have control? He would have to rely on his masters.”
A foreign journalist asked Nasheed as to the identity of those “masters”. Nasheed speculated that Gayoom’s half-brother Abdulla Yameen and Jumhoree Party (JP) leader Gasim Ibrahim were involved “because I have seen them at it. I am very sure it is the old order.”
Nasheed had met with the Indian High Commissioner Dynaneshwar Mulay prior to the press conference. A journalist asked if he “felt India has let you down”.
“I’m sure India with its ideals and policies will find the most amicable set of policies in the Maldives,” Nasheed responded.
Addressing the matter of international influence in the Indian Ocean, Nasheed said his government had always been clear on its friendship with the neighboring country, however the “present government has not been clear on its stance with regards to India and China”, adding that “there’s always room for maneuvering.”
“My policy on international relations is very simple – find a friend and be good to that friend,” he said.
The United States today recognised the government of Dr Waheed, and expressed hope that the Maldives would resolve the current issue internally, according to media reports.
US State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said that Washington “recognised the new government of President Mohammed Waheed Hassan as legitimate”, but clarified that it was collecting more information.
US Assistant Secretary of State Robert Blake is due to arrive in the Maldives tomorrow. High-level delegations from the UN and Commonwealth are currently active in the Maldives and meeting all parties.
This letter is written with plenty of love and respect for you, your culture and your country. I am writing on behalf of a group of university professors that have visited many times your country, a group of people from the international university community that feels very sad for what is happening in Maldives and have their heart shred into pieces.
It is terrible for us to see what is happening to such nice and friendly country. Brothers against brothers, brothers killing brothers. We use to say that you where very different from Sri Lanka as every time we went to Dhivehi land, those 190 islands surrounded by a blue sea, we traveled also to old Ceylon, always in war, always in troubles, the population always in fear.
The Maldives was different, although we knew that human rights were not respected, nor did free expression exist. We knew that a dictator was controlling the country, we knew that poverty was present, we knew that the country did not have a proper hospital and no university. For us this was very strange — we knew that people were in prison, we knew of families losing their land for not being princes of the regime.
We might be tourists but we are not blind nor deaf.
We might stay in upscale resorts but we have a heart and we are not stupid. We made plenty of friends, people that came to visits us in Europe and others that could not afford to travel, but showed interest and sympathy to us every time we surfed the Maldivian blue waters. Some of these people are apparently now in jail.
What is happening? The news in Europe says you have dismissed your elected President and a new one is in power since a few days ago.
This is not possible as a new President cannot appoint him or herself and needs to be elected. I don’t think you had the time for that.
We all fear that you are back to dictatorship, black into the grey dark political clouds of the last 30 years. We are not even sure that this open letter to all Maldivian will be published, but we want to show that we are with you in this difficult moment.
Whoever will be in power, cannot be called President as he or she has not been elected.
It seems like your path to democracy has suffered a twist. Often it is like that in countries without a culture of respect for human life. The photos we get here in Europe makes us think about old times back here. If that is the case it is very sad.
We don’t know exactly what your situation is as the mails we get are very confusing, but it seems like plenty of blood has been shed lately. From Europe, at least from the university community, we want to say to all that fighting for democracy is worth it. Some of you may not understand it fully, but indeed democracy is the only way to go these days. Some of your Muslim brothers in north Africa know it very well.
May all the troubles end soon and may your country regain the wisdom that will allow you to continue to develop. No more blood should be spilt. No more dictatorship should take place.
Irwin Glass is a teacher at the European University in Barcelona.
All comment pieces are the sole view of the author and do not reflect the editorial policy of Minivan News. If you would like to write an opinion piece, please send proposals to [email protected]
Dictatorships don’t always die when the dictator leaves office, former President of the Maldives Mohamed Nasheed has said in a New York Times Op-Ed.
“The wave of revolutions that toppled autocrats in Tunisia, Egypt, Libya and Yemen last year was certainly cause for hope. But the people of those countries should be aware that, long after the revolutions, powerful networks of regime loyalists can remain behind and can attempt to strangle their nascent democracies.
“I learned this lesson quickly. My country, the Maldives, voted out President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, its iron-fisted ruler, back in 2008, in historic elections that swept away three decades of his authoritarian rule. And yet the dictatorship bequeathed to the infant democracy a looted treasury, a ballooning budget deficit and a rotten judiciary.
“I was elected that year, and with the help of the International Monetary Fund, my government worked to cut the deficit, while also building a modern tax base. For the first time in its history, the Maldives — a group of islands in the Indian Ocean — had a democratically elected president, parliament and local councils.
“But it also had a judiciary handpicked by the former president, which was now hiding behind a democratic constitution. These powerful judges provided protection for the former president, his family members and political allies, many of whom are accused of corruption, embezzlement and human rights crimes.
“At the same time, new laws guaranteeing freedom of speech were abused by a new force in Maldivian politics: Islamic extremists. The former president’s cabinet members threw anti-Semitic and anti-Christian slurs at my government, branding as apostates anyone who tried to defend the country’s liberal Islamic traditions and claiming that democracy granted them and their allies license to call for violent jihad and indulge in hate speech.
“In response to these issues, my government asked the United Nations to help us investigate judicial abuses and ordered the arrest of Abdulla Mohamed, the chief judge of the criminal court, on charges of protecting the former president and corrupting the judicial system. However, in a dramatic turn of events on Tuesday, the former president’s supporters protested in the streets, and police officers and army personnel loyal to the old government mutinied and forced me, at gunpoint, to resign. To avoid bloodshed, I did so. I believe this to be a coup d’état and suspect that my vice president, who has since been sworn into office, helped to plan it.
“Choosing to stand up to the judge was a controversial decision, but I feel I had no choice but to do what I did — to have taken no action, and passively watched the country’s democracy strangled, would have been the greatest injustice of all.
“The problems we are facing in the Maldives are a warning for other Muslim nations undergoing democratic reform. At times, dealing with the corrupt system of patronage the former regime left behind can feel like wrestling with a Hydra: when you remove one head, two more grow back. With patience and determination, the beast can be slain. But let the Maldives be a lesson for aspiring democrats everywhere: the dictator can be removed in a day, but it can take years to stamp out the lingering remnants of his dictatorship.”
Thousands of Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) supporters, led by former president Mohamed Nasheed, have taken to the streets this evening to oppose what they claimed was an illegitimate government established yesterday in a bloodless military coup.
The protests have spread across the country including the southern Atoll of Addu, where Mayor Abdulla Sodig has been beaten by protesters and taken to the Addu regional hospital. Hithadhoo police academy has also been set on fire, along with approximately 18 vehicles used for training purposes.
Minivan News has received rumours that 250 inmates at Maafushi jail have broken out of their cells and are rioting against the guards. Sources report that police are being deployed to the jail compound.
In Sri Lanka, demonstrations are being held outside of the Maldives Embassy. In the United Kingdom, Maldives High Commissioner Dr Farahanaz Faizal has resigned in protest.
The political chaos was triggered this afternoon after Nasheed rallied MDP supporters, declaring that his resignation had been under duress and called for the freshly-appointed Dr Mohamed Waheed Hassan to step down and call for elections.
“Yes, I was forced to resign at gunpoint,” Mohamed Nasheed told foreign reporters after the rally. “There were guns all around me and they told me they wouldn’t hesitate to use them if I didn’t resign.”
Amid the clashes, a group of opposition demonstrators infiltrated the crowds, attacking MDP supporters, according to witnesses.
Former President Mohamed Nasheed was reported among the injured, and received head injuries during the clashes. He was briefly taken under police custody before being released back into the crowd.
An injured protester
MDP’s former Chairperson Maria Ahmed Didi was also seen “dragged away by by her hair” – her whereabouts remain unknown – while MDP’s Chairperson Reeko Moosa Manik is in critical condition at ADK Hospital.
A Minivan News reporter was injured following what he described as a baton charge by former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom’s ‘starforce’ officers.
“They were beating old women with batons,” he said. “It was just like the old days.”
Photos circulated on social media show heavily bloodstained protesters. There were unconfirmed reports that a woman had died, but the hospitals confirmed no deaths as of 9:00 Wednesday night.
Protests have meanwhile spread nationwide across the Maldives, including Addu City, with reports of islanders seizing police stations across the country.
A police spokesperson confirmed that protesters had been injured. He could not confirm the number of people arrested.
Several youth with head injuries were queued up for x-rays in the waiting area outside the reception area at IGMH.
One young woman who had gone to IGMH with her sister was being treated for a head wound. A gauze wrapped around her head was spotted with blood, and she claimed the wound was still bleeding as she went in for an X-ray.
“The police were just standing there and suddenly we were being beaten with batons and pepper spray was thrown in our face. They threw us to the ground and kept beating us,” she said.
Explaining that she, her sister and most women had joined the party’s “walk around Male” because they understood it was not a violent protest, the young woman said she had never seen indiscriminate beating of men and women on Male’ under Mohamed Nasheed’.
“It was just supposed to be a peaceful walk. That’s why we went, and why more women than usual went. But there was no warning of the attack, no announcements, we were all beaten even after we began retreating. My sister was almost trampled,” she said. “I just think it’s disgusting that the police could beat so many unarmed women.”
A reported photo of a protester taken from Facebook
Meanwhile, MDP MP and parliamentary group leader Ibrahim Mohamed Solih believed approximately 35 individuals had been admitted to IGMH, with one in the ICU. Hospital staff said several were in serious conditions.
Describing the confrontation, Solih said the group was 20 feet away from the police line, which was not blocked the road, when the police began spraying tear gas, pepper spray, and throwing stones. He believes there may have been individuals behind the police who were launching some of the projectiles, but could not say whether they were affiliated with any political party.
“We are now just trying to collect everyone and see who has been injured,” Solih said, adding “I think [they police] were using more force than was necessary today.”
Solih claimed ‘Reeko’ Moosa Manik was in serious condition with injuries to his stomach and back, while MP Mariya Didi was also seriously injured. Nasheed had been injured as well, but is being kept “in a secret location.” MPs Alhan Fahmy and Imthiyaz Fahmy, the party spokesperson, have been taken to jail, he added.
“I didn’t think Dr Waheed would do anything against civilians, I felt he would do something to protect them. But today I saw a totally different situation, and I am not so sure. I don’t think he has any control over the police and MNDF. They’re the ones running the government, Dr Waheed is just a puppet,” he elaborated.
MDP Party Member Omar Razak, Chairman of Works Corporation Limited, observed that the numbers of MDP supporters who turned out today to walk around Male’ trumped those who demonstrated on February 7 during the military coup.
“If we had the numbers yesterday that we had today we wouldn’t be in this situation,” he said, adding that the party members had been up all night with the protests on February 6. He said the party would continue to demonstrate. “They can’t keep doing this, beating people and sending them to the hospital every day.”
MDP Chairperson 'Reeko' Moosa Manik is in intensive care.
Riot squads arrived at IGMH around 6:15, but were replaced by MNDF forces at approximately 6:30. The situation was calm at 7:00pm, however the public was still gathered outside.
No deaths had been confirmed as of 8:00pm.
Meanwhile, Human Rights Commission of Maldives (HRCM) was investigating the situation at IGMH at 6:45 pm.
The BBC’s Andrew North, who was covering the riots, reported “an ugly atmosphere in this tiny capital on the sea as darkness fell, with clashes continuing between Maldives security forces and supporters of the former president, Mohamed Nasheed.”
“We witnessed a baton charge by police on crowds gathered outside one of the main hospitals. People scattered as officers sprinted towards them, silhouetted against the lights of passing traffic.
“Inside the hospital, dozens of Mr Nasheed’s supporters are still being treated for injuries, following earlier scuffles in the main square. Among them is Reeko Moosa Maniku, chairman of Mr Nasheed’s Maldives Democratic Party – who was with the former president when the clashes broke out.
“A large head bandage and his shirt bloodied, he regained consciousness as we arrived. ‘The police said they would kill me’, he told us, as they beat me. Another MP was still unconscious in another ward.”
LIVE UPDATES – refresh this page:
7:15 – In a surreal moment, the state broadcaster was reporting on Disney’s financial profits as the protests took hold.
7:23 – Hospitals have been reported locked down and appointments cancelled.
7:29 – 50 people reported hospitalised. Police and army at Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital.
7:31 – Reports of police looting the MDP’s headquarters. MDP supporters have alleged that President Dr Mohamed Waheed Hassan does not have control of police.
7:37 – A Thimarafushi councilor has claimed that police on the island have sided with the islanders, after they approached the police station. 12 police reportedly work on the island.
7:43 – MDP MP ‘Reeko’ Moosa Manik is reported to be in intensive care in a “very critical” condition.
8:05 – MDP supporters on Thinadhoo in Gaafu Dhaalu Atoll are protesting against the police. Vehichles and police buidling smashed up, reported haveeru.
8:06 – Police station on Milandhoo in Shaviyani Atoll reportedly taken over by MDP supporters
8:07 – Police station on Velidhoo in Noonu Atoll reportedly taken over by MDP supporters. Seven policeman on duty exiled from the island on a boat, reports Haveeru.
8:08 – Chairman of the Police Integrity Commission Shahinda Ismail told Raajje TV that police had used excessive force. The Human Rights Commission of the Maldives has also issued a statement expressing concern.
8:49 – Police released a statement announcing that the current protests have turned into a ‘violent act of terrorism’, citing that protesters are deliberately causing harm to the people and damaging public property, and vowed to take necessary measures to crack down the protesters.
9:02 – Windows at Vili Police Station in Maafanu ward have been smashed. A fight was taking place nearby between several civilians, with only a few police members involved, following the police raid on the MDP camp at approximately 7:45 pm, sources say.
9:03 – Minivan News has learned that Amnesty International will be dispatching a delegation to the Maldives following reports of senior MDP figures being detained.
9:06 – The UK High Commission has a team in the Maldives that called a meeting with all UK nationals this afternoon at a Male’ hotel. UK citizens present were registered. High Commissioner John Rankin expressed particular concern over the reported ‘no-travel’ list, which he said was believed to include several foreign nationals, including at least one UK citizen. He said President Dr Waheed Hassan had refuted knowledge of such a list, but had added that he would respect a court order if it was issued.
9:37 – British Prime Minister David Cameron has said responded to a question from UK MP David Amess, Chairman of the All Party Parliamentary Group to the Maldives:
Amess: Does my right hon. Friend share my disappointment at the overthrow yesterday of the first democratically elected President of the Maldives in a coup d’état? Given our historical links with the islands, will the Government, by way of a message, do all they can to ensure that no violence results and that the democratic institutions remain?
Cameron: My hon. Friend is right. This country does have strong links with the Maldives and a good relationship with President Nasheed, but we have to be clear. President Nasheed has resigned, and we have a strong interest in the well-being of several thousand British tourists and in a stable and democratic Government in the Maldives. Our high commissioner is in the capital now and meeting all the political leaders. We call on the new Government to demonstrate their respect for the rights of all political parties and their members, and to ensure that the constitution is upheld. We advise British tourists to avoid non-essential travel to Malé island, and those using Malé airport and the tourist resorts should exercise caution.
10:01 – Police station, island court and atoll council office reported burnt down to ground by angry protesters in Thinadhoo (pop 6500) in Gaafu Dhaal Atoll.
10:02 – Police stations on Gan and Feydhoo in Addu Atoll (pop 35,000) set on fire. Fire continues to spread, after protesters smashed up fire rescue lorry.
10:03 – Police station and court reported taken over by protesters on Alifushi in Raa Atoll.
10:14 – Confirmed earlier reports that President Dr Mohamed Waheed Hassan Manik has appointed Dhivehi Gaumee Party (DQP) Deputy Leader Dr Ahmed Jameel Ahmed as Home Minister, and Mohamed Nazim from Maafanu Seenu Karankaage as Defence Minister . Both were sworn into the position at a ceremony held at the president office at 8:0opm tonight. Jameel was recently arrested by police under the Nasheed government on charges of hate speech. His party had published a pamphlet in Dhivehi entitled “President Nasheed’s devious plot to destroy the Islamic faith of Maldivians” (English translation).
10:27 – IGMH has confirmed no deaths as of 9:00pm this evening. ADK officials have confirmed to the media that 14 people were brought to the hospital with various injuries. Three have been hospitalised, including MDP Chairperson ‘Reeko’ Moosa Manik, while the rest have been released after treatment.
10:32 – Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has called on Maldivian security forces to protect the country’s media “and to ensure that their rights are respected”, after reports that Nasheed’s opponents had “physically attacked at least one journalist and had threatened to kill another one.”
“After members of the police and army linked to the opposition staged a mutiny and forced the Nasheed to resign, members of the police also stormed the headquarters of the state TV station yesterday and took control,” RSF stated.
“We urge the new president, Mohamed Waheed Hassan, to take immediate steps to ensure the protection and the rights of all media workers, especially the journalists at the state TV station MNBC, who were expelled from their offices by the police,” Reporters Without Borders said.
“Undertakings must be given at once to defend freedom of information or else journalists are going to find themselves exposed to the same circumstances that prevailed before the country’s first democratic elections in 2008.”
After police and soldiers yesterday joined the opposition’s protests, they took control of MNBC – the Maldivian National Broadcasting Commission – and from there began broadcasting the opposition TV station VTV, which they then renamed Television Maldives (TVM), its name during the government of former dictator Maumoon Abdul Gayoom.
11:30 – Protesters in Addu have reportedly set fire to Hithadhoo police academy and 18 police vehicles. Mayor Abdulla Sodig has reportedly been beaten by protesters and taken to the Addu regional hospital.
11:31 – Several sources have claimed that 250 inmates at Maafushi jail have broken out of their cells and are rioting against the guards. Sources report that police are being deployed to the jail compound.
11:32 – In Sri Lanka, demonstrations are being held outside of the Maldives Embassy.
11:33 – In the United Kingdom, Maldives High Commissioner Dr Farahanaz Faizal has resigned: “My conscience wouldn’t allow me to serve a government which had overthrown a democratically elected government in a coup d’etat,” she said. Farah said she has been made the MDP spokesperson for the party in Europe, and intends to remain in the UK “for quite some time.”
“In the last elections, over 25 percent of the vote for Mohamed Nasheed was cast from those nationals residing in Europe,” she said.
11:34 – Maafushi Council has refuted claims that the prisoners have broken out. Minivan News understands that the attempted break out was quickly controlled by prison officers.
11:45 – Military and police have met with press, urging the public to maintain calm and end the vandalism and arson attacks on state and public property.
Brigadier General Ibrahim Didi, who commanded the mndf during yesterday’s events, refuted the claims military forced the president to quit by threatening to use force. He also said that the military never joined the protestors and it was incorrect information: “We never had any role in yesterday’s protest. We tried to protect. But the president voluntarily resigned. We didn’t force him to resign,” Didi said. “There is nobody among us who can put a gun to President Nasheed, and there was no plan to bring down the former president by using weapons. I say this with full guarantee.”
He insisted that the military had not participated in Tuesday’s alleged coup attempt, which saw police join opposition protesters and attack the capital’s military headquarters, and suggested that reporters “ask the police about it.”
12:12 – Police have confirmed that two policemen in Male’ were stabbed, between 9:30pm and 10:00pm, near ADK hospital. Both are reported to be in a stable condition and no suspects have been arrested.
12:24 – Former Assistant Police Commissioner Abdulla Riyaz, who was dismissed by the Nasheed government, has been reappointed as Police Commissioner. Riyaz had sued the government following his dismissal, and the civil court ruled that he had been unlawfully dismissed. He has reportedly been an active member of the opposition following his dismissal.
12:55 – The state broadcaster has shut down its broadcast for the evening as the political chaos continues. Social media remains extremely active.
1:05 – The coalition of opposition parties formed following the ‘December 23’ coalition to “defend Islam” have called on its supporters to come out to protect the state and public property. The opposition DRP has also condemned the MDP for instigating the protests, to end the rule of the “lawfully appointed” President Dr Mohamed Waheed Hassan.
1:15 – Minivan News understands that Mohamed Nasheed is safe with party supporters.
1:16 – The MDP is trying to get its Chairperson ‘Reeko’Moosa Manik out of the country for urgent medical treatment. However immigration authorities are reportedly refusing to allow him to leave as he is on a “travel blacklist” issued by the courts, MDP sources report.
1.19 – According to the former State Minister of Tourism, yesterday “the entire pre-Islamic collection at the National Museum was destroyed by a group who broke in. The incident has not been reported in any media so far. Apparently, the scene was photographed but the museum is under police control now and they are not giving information to anyone.”
2:11 – Amnesty International has issued a statement demanding that Maldives security forces “stop using violence against supporters of Mohamed Nasheed’s Maldivian Democratic Party, a day after he was forced to resign the presidency under the threat of violence by the military and police.”
“Eyewitnesses told Amnesty International that Nasheed and a large number of Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) members were marching peacefully through the streets of the capital Malé when police attacked them first and then failed to protect them from a violent counter demonstration.
“Some of the MDP demonstrators were cordoned off by the police in a narrow alley where a mob shouting anti-MDP slogans began to beat them. One eyewitness saw Nasheed’s face covered in blood. He was then seen to be rushed away. Later a video emerged on the internet showing the police arresting him.
“MDP chairperson, and Member of Parliament, Reeko Moosa was first attacked by the police and then a mob attacked him with broken glass bottles. Police reportedly did not stop them. He is in a critical condition from the injuries and is receiving treatment at the intensive care unit of the Indira Ghandi Memorial Hospital.
“At least five MDP members of parliament are detained at the Dhoonidhoo Detention Center. One of the detained MPs, Mariya Ahmed Didi, who had been released from police custody last night was attacked by the police as she was attending today’s demonstration.”
“We are extremely concerned about the latest developments in the Maldives,” said Sam Zarifi, Amnesty International’s Asia-Pacific director. “The new authorities must ensure the right to freedom of expression and assembly and we want to see an investigation into the attack on Mohamed Nasheed and other protesters. Those responsible for the attack on demonstrators must be brought to justice.”
“MPs and others held in Dhoonidhoo Detention Center should have access to their family and lawyers, and they must receive adequate medical treatment and a thorough and independent investigation should be made into the reasons for their arrest,” added Zarifi. “They should be released unless the government can charge them with a cognizable criminal offense through a fair and impartial process.”
2:48 – Robert Blake, US Assistant Secretary of State for South Asia, is scheduled to arrive in the Maldives on Saturday.
Dramatic footage of the protest and crackdown on Wednesday afternoon:
Footage of police beating a protester filmed from a balcony:
Former President Mohamed Nasheed and former MDP Chairperson Mariya Ahmed Didi being dragged out of a shop by police on Wednesday afternoon:
Al Jazeera reports on the protest on Wednesday afternoon:
Scene in a Male’ hospital, Wednesday afternoon:
Riot police inside the MDP headquarters this afternoon:
Freshly-appointed President of the Maldives Dr Mohamed Waheed Hassan held a press conference this morning for foreign and local journalists, in which he said he was in consultation with the leaders of opposition political parties to form a “national unity government.”
Former President Mohamed Nasheed stepped down yesterday, under what he today described as “duress”, after elements of the police and military joined opposition protesters, assaulted the Maldivian National Defence Force (MNDF) headquarters and took over and rebranded the state broadcaster.
Nasheed’s cabinet ministers have been asked to resign. Minivan News understands that Sports and Human Resources Minister Hassan Latheef, Health Minister Aminath Najeel and Economic Minister Mahmoud Razee have tended their resignations.
“My plan is to continue consultations with political leaders and come up with nominations for appointments to be approved by parliament,” Dr Waheed said this morning. “It will take a few days.”
Foreign journalists challenged Dr Waheed over Nasheed’s claim that he had been ousted in a coup d’état coup de tat.
“Do I look like someone who is attempting a coup?” Dr Waheed replied.
“President Nasheed resigned, and I was invited to take the oath of office by Speaker of Parliament [DRP MP Abdulla Shahid].
“I don’t want to comment on how Nasheed conducted the affairs of government. You can follow for yourselves the situation in the Maldives and how the political climate has evolved, and form your own opinion on the situation,” he said.
“The people of the Maldives made a huge transition to democracy [in 2008]. It has been a long journey,” he added.
President Nasheed was “in good health” and had been asked to stay in the Presidential residence until the situation has “settled down”, Dr Waheed said, but he had elected to move to his own residence.
Asked by an Al Jazeera journalist whether he was “in the pocket” of the opposition, Dr Waheed replied that such an allegation was “unfair”.
“I come from a different party, and the [former] president knew very well that I was not from the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) when he asked me to be his running mate to win the election. That was an effort by people who wanted freedom, who came together to bring about a change in 2008,” Dr Waheed said.
“MDP alone cannot take full credit and responsibility for the transformation that took place – that is totally unfair,” Dr Waheed maintained.
“When the [former] President decided that the MDP did not need anyone else and proceeded unilaterally, it undermined its own legitimacy and power base. Events progressed.
“What happened was the culmination of a long process of political conflict and undermining of the judiciary. I think it is unfair for anyone to accuse me of joining the opposition. I will continue this government in the spirit of coalition. Together I am confident that we will be able to build stable democratic country that respects individual freedom, and respects and upholds the constitution.”
Dr Waheed said he was “shocked” to hear of a travel black list prohibiting the departure of prominent MDP figures.
“I assure you that since I have become President no list has been issued,” he said.
“President Nasheed is free to leave the country, there is no court order. But I guarantee I will not interfere in proceedings of juidicary.”
Minivan News understands that such a list was issued by the courts, and reportedly includes the names of several non-Maldivians and at least one UK national, according to UK High Commissioner John Rankin.
The government would continue to function as normal, Dr Waheed said.
“We have an independent civil service independent, and every government ministry will be handled responsibility by the civil servants. Some political appointees will be changed for obvious reasons. It will be a few days before things are fully in place.”
Dr Waheed said he would continue the governments projects “as much as I could”, but would review certain projects and corporations.
The state broadcaster would be handed to parliament’s National Broadcasting Corporation (MBC), he said.
Asked whether police had mutinied against the government, Dr Waheed said that yesterday’s event’s “must be seen in continum.”
“If you followed what has happened, you have seen peaceful demonstrations for three weeks,” he said. “We are not proud of what has happened in the last few weeks. The President has resigned and the Speaker invited me to parliament to be appointed.”
Dr Waheed told media that he had “not had good communication” with Nasheed.
“He did not involve me in major decisions, particularly with regard to the judiciary. As a member of cabinet I provided my advice, but that doesn’t mean I was a close confidant,” he said.
Asked about the ramifications of the change of government on Indian infrastructure giant GMR, which was given a 25 year commission to upgrade and manage Male’s airport amid opposition protests, Dr Waheed said “ we will discuss with GMR and try to resolve those issues.”
Journalists also asked about the ramifications of the days events on rising Islamic fundamentalism in the Maldives.
In response, Dr Waheed said Islamic parties were represented under Nasheed’s government.
“They are a part of our society and we cannot remove them. We have a fairly wide range of people and views and philosophies and politics,” Dr Waheed said. “I will try to create a multi-party government that bring in all these.”
He pledged to uphold the rule of law and strengthen governance, and assured the reporters that the Maldives was “completely peaceful” for visitors.
“I’m glad you asked that question,” he said. “We want to assure visitors that the Maldives is completely peaceful, and that male and the rest of the country is a peaceful place. I would like to reassure the tourism industry have full support of this government.”
International responses
David Amess, the Chairman of the UK’s All Party Parliamentary Group to the Maldives, said he was “shocked and saddened to learn of the coup d’état in the Maldives resulting in the removal of President Nasheed.”
“When he took office in November 2008, it was as the first democratically elected President of the Maldives ever. He faced enormous challenges in underpinning democratic rule in the Maldives. There can be little doubt that, during his time in office, he worked tirelessly to improve the living conditions and general welfare of the Maldivian people,” Amess said.
“It is tragic that, 20 months before the next Presidential elections were due; he has been forced from office under duress.”
“There is now concern for his safety and that of his family. I very much hope that the British Government will do all in its power to ensure that he is not harmed in any way.”
The Commonwealth said today that was “gravely concerned about the political and constitutional developments in Maldives. At the request of the Chief Justice and Government, a Commonwealth Secretariat team of five officials arrived in Maldives on 6 February, to explore how the Commonwealth can respond to the country’s urgent priorities, including strengthening the judiciary and the separation of powers. The Secretariat team includes political, legal and human rights officers.
“The Commonwealth team is consulting with the full spectrum of stakeholders to assess the current situation and the Commonwealth’s possible contributions in the short, medium and long-term,” the body said.
The Indian Prime Minister said it spoke to Dr Mohamed Waheed after he took office, “reaffirming the special and close ties that the Maldives has with India and said that he was committed to upholding the Constitution of that country and the rule of law. The Prime Minister conveyed his best wishes to the President and said that India as always stood ready to provide any support or assistance that the people of the Maldives might require.”
The spokesperson of Catherine Ashton, High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice President of the Commission, issued the following statement, said the EU was “deeply concerned about developments in the Maldives yesterday. She has noted the reasons stated by President Nasheed for his decision to resign.”
“The High Representative stresses the importance of respect for the constitution, the rule of law and human rights, which are central to the process of democratic transition in the Maldives. She calls
on the authorities to guarantee the physical safety and the democratic rights of the people. The High Representative calls on all parties in the Maldives to act in accordance with these principles
and to engage in an inclusive dialogue. She is willing to support this dialogue in any way that the Maldivian authorities consider useful, in close cooperation with the international community.”
Vice President of the Maldives Dr Mohamed Waheed Hassan has been sworn in as President of the Maldives following the resignation of President Mohamed Nasheed in dramatic circumstances at 1:00pm today (February 7).
President Mohamed Nasheed appeared on ‘Television Maldives’ (TVM), and issued a brief statement this afternoon:
“I resign because I am not a person who wishes to rule with the use of power. I believe that if the government were to remain in power it would require the use force which would harm many citizens. I resign because I believe that if the government continues to stay in power, it is very likely that we may face foreign influences.
“I have always wished the citizens of this country well, now and into the future. I have made this decision and I wish for your prosperity in this life and the life after.”
The President’s resignation comes after elements of the police and 60-70 officers from the Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) sided with opposition protesters and attacked the MNDF headquarters early this morning.
Minivan News at 8:00am on February 7 observed a group of 400-500 opposition protesters, interspersed with blue-shirted police officers, assaulting the MNDF building in Republic Square.
At the height of the violence there appeared to be no police riot control presence in the square. Military forces with riot shields held back the crowd at while soldiers in gas masks used grenade launchers to fire tear gas canisters from the turrets of base into the crowd.
“This government is over!” yelled a middle-aged man in a shirt and tie, dodging a tear gas canister. Several confronted Minivan News.
Younger rioters threw water bottles and rocks at the building, breaking windows. Another picked up a tear canister and attempted to hurl it back into the compound.
There were mixed reports that the military used rubber bullets to control the demonstrators. Minivan News only observed tear gas canisters being fired as of this morning, and the government at the time denied using rubber bullets.
The wind quickly dispersed the tear gas in the large open area, blowing south through the city.
Outside the main square the streets were as calm and quiet as a typical Male’ morning, as the school run began. Students walked through the hazy streets south of the square holding their clothes to their faces, and were handed water and paper towels by teachers at school gates.
At 10am this morning Minivan News observed military units protecting the President’s residence, and sirens as police units from other parts of the city converged on the square.
A government spokesperson this morning confirmed that “some elements within the police have not obeyed orders, and military and police are working to restore order.”
“The opposition has been calling for the police and military to mutiny and join the mob in bringing down the country’s first democratically elected government,” he said.
Opposition protesters and police supporters subsequently took over the Maldives National Broadcasting Commission (MNBC) and began streaming VTV over the station. The channel was later rebadged ‘TVM’, its name under Gayoom’s government. Opposition party leaders and MPs are giving interviews on TVM, interspersed with patriotic songs, news reports and live footage of Nasheed’s resignation and the Vice President’s appointment.
Subsequent to the rebranding of TVM, a government spokesperson told Minivan News the Maldives was in the throes “of an attempted coup”.
President Nasheed subsequently gave a press conference and announced his resignation.
Vice President takes over from Nasheed
Vice President Mohamed Waheed Hassan was sworn in as President this afternoon. Following his appointment Dr Waheed addressed the nation on TVM, and said he was grateful to the police and MNDF who had made “great sacrifices” to defend constitution.
“Today is the day the rule of law has been established in the country perfectly,” Dr Waheed said.
“I will not order the police, military or any person to do anything against the law – I promise it to the public. Everyone will have the protection of constitution and laws.”
Dr Waheed also said the President and has family would receive protection under the law.
“I call upon all political parties, the Maldives National Defense Force, and the public that this is the time to put aside personal hatreds and jealousies, and prioritise to work for the interests of our nation. And I ensure that we will work to restore peace and prosperity of the nation, to deliver a harmonious and peaceful living to the people.”
Police attack MDP headquarters
A group of police, believed to be affiliated with a ‘starforce’ unit under the former government, reportedly refused to obey an order after dispersing a crowd of opposition protesters at the artificial beach last night.
Minivan News observed a group of protesters and police with batons running south towards the tsunami monument just after midnight, before returning to the artificial beach.
Shortly afterwards, a group of up to 10 people in police clothing attacked the MDP ‘Haruge’, headquarters, smashing some glass.
Following incident at the Haruge, a rogue police unit reportedly arrived in Republic Square and was monitored by MNDF officers. The police were reportedly joined by further officers.
Minivan News is currently seeking confirmation that the home minister was attacked in the violence last night. Former MDP Chairperson Mariya Ahmed Didi and senior MDP figures are reportedly being treated in hospital after a stab wound, and there were reports of both police and MNDF officers being treated for head injuries in hospital.
TIMELINE February 7:
10:40 – Minivan News has observed that a large group of MNDF officers have joined opposition demonstrators in Republic Square. The President was reported to be still in Male and under military protection. The opposition is claiming he has been arrested, but the government has disputed this.
10:45 – Many shops and businesses, including the Bank of Maldives, have temporarily closed branches in Male’.
11:01 – A government source confirmed that they were aware that a number of MNDF personnel had joined the demonstrators. Minivan News observed 60-70 uniformed officers.
11:12 – Opposition protesters and rogue police have taken over the Maldives National Broadcasting Commission (MNBC) and are streaming VTV over the station. The occupiers have reportedly renamed it TVM.
11:22 – The headquarters of the ruling Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) has been set on fire.
11:36 – The MNDF personnel who joined the protesters were reportedly given the opportunity to leave if they wished, but were forbidden from taking weapons.
11:41 – The opposition aligned protesters have been issuing President Mohamed Nasheed ultimatums to resign – Minivan News was told 11:30am and 2:30pm by different sources.
11:47 – Government spokesperson confirms country is undergoing attempted coup, after state broadcaster hijacked.
12:13 – President’s office denies widespread reports that Nasheed has resigned. There is a press conference scheduled imminently at the President’s office.
12:32 – Minivan News observed no situation at the airport, contrary to earlier rumours circulating around Male.
12:54 – President’s Press conference is yet to start.
12:56 – MNBC is now showing as TVM, the name of the state broadcaster under President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom.
12:58 – Press conference has started.
1:19 – President Nasheed announces resignation, stating that his remaining in power would require the use of force against his own population, and he was not willing to do this “foreign influences”. Minivan News is currently clarifying his statements in English.
2:55 – Another press conference has been announced and is expected to start shortly.
3:00 – Vice President Mohamed Waheed Hassan is due to be sworn in as the 5th President of the Maldives, according to the rebranded Television Maldives (TVM).
4:38 – Vice President Mohamed Waheed Hassan is addressing the nation on TVM, praising efforts “police sacrifices” to protect the constitution and law.
5:00 – Chief Judge of the Criminal Court, Abdulla Mohamed, has been reported released.
6:31 – The mood in Male’ remains tense. Maldivian Democratic Party supporters have been thin on the ground today.
There is no doubt that the judiciary in the Maldives is in a mess with many unqualified and incompetent people having made it into the judiciary in the void created during the transition period, writes Dr S. Chandrasekharan for the Eurasia Review.
“The ICJ report of July 2010 pointed out the legacy of an authoritarian past in which the President was the supreme judicial architect that has tested the transition.
“Another factor which inhibited proper selection was that the Judicial Service Commission failed to fulfill the constitutional mandate of properly vetting and reappointing the judges. Even the composition of the commission was questionable. Imagine Gasim Ibrahim being a member – he is a politician and leader of one of the active political parties. He has extensive business interests and there will be an unavoidable clash of interests.
“In the year 2005, the then Attorney General and now a leader of the DQP has himself reported against the judge and the allegations included misogyny, sexual deviance, throwing out an assault case despite the confession of the accused. The Judicial Commission took its own time to enquire into the allegations and meanwhile the judge approached the civil court and stopped the enquiry!
“The judge would have got away with all this but what triggered the anger of the government was that he issued orders for immediate release of two persons from custody – Dr Jameel, the Vice President of DQP and Sandhaanu Didi for asserting in a private broadcasting station that the government was working with the Jews and Christian priests and encouraging vice. Didi went further and made personal attacks against President saying that the President was a madman and a Christian!
“Confronted by the police, the two were not able to substantiate the allegations and were therefore taken into custody under 125 of penal code which said that a ‘person can be punished for making a fabricated statement or repeats a statement whose basis cannot be provided.’
“The Chief Judge of the Criminal Court Abdulla Mohamed ordered the immediate release of the accused and the Police with the help of the MNDF in turn arrested the judge of the criminal court.
Police Sources say that the Judge was arrested for unethical conduct in obstructing the Police in exercising their responsibilities to preserve law and order in the society.
“The High Court ordered the release of the judge stating that the arrest was illegal. The Chief Justice Ahmad Faiz and the Prosecutor General also issued orders for the immediate release of the judge.
“The JSC (Judicial Service Commission) also issued a press note that it is not in the jurisdiction of the armed forces or the Police to take action against the judge.
“The Vice President has in his blog has said that the arrest is against article 319 of the “Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Further it is against the international covenant of civil and political rights and international convention for the protection of all persons from enforced disappearance. He suggested that the judge should be released and then make the JSC fulfill its responsibilities.
“The Secretary General of SAARC and a former attorney General Fathimath Dhiyana Saeed, the youngest and the first female Secretary General, condemned the arrest in a television programme and said that it is a “violation of individual human rights, a violation of independence of the judiciary and a violation of the constitution.” She has put in her resignation papers after the broadcast.
“A team of lawyers filed a case against MNDF in the High Court over the illegal arrest of the judge. A case has also been filed in the International Court of Justice over the arrest.
“President Nasheed appears to be unrelenting and has justified the arrest. He has separately approached the UN for help in cleaning up the judiciary- immediate issues and the long term issues that includes the failure of the judicial accountability mechanism in the constitution.
“It looks that President Nasheed has over reached himself in firstly arresting and in refusing to release the judge when the overwhelming public opinion is against taking such a drastic action. He should have taken this strong stand last year during the transition when some of the judges appointed by the previous regime were found not having “high moral character, educational qualifications or competence.”
One of the charges against the judge now arrested was that in 2005 he was alleged to have requested the under age victim of molestation to re enact her abuse in court. The charge could not be enquired into by the judicial service commission as the judge got a stay order from the civil court.
“By this one act of arrest, President Nasheed is likely to antagonise all his admirers and sympathisers. Earlier it is undone, better it would be for all concerned.”
The Maldives has topped a poll of most desirable travel destinations among its UK customers, according to a study by tour giant Kuoni. The country has held the rank since 2005.
The Maldives was followed by Thailand, Sri Lanka, the United Arab Emirates (Dubai) and the USA, including New York holidays.
“The Maldives also retained its top slot for honeymoon destinations and topped the wish list for digital natives, better known as Generation X, Y and Z. Sri Lanka holidays retained ‘Number one Destination for Weddings’, Kuramathi Island Resort in the Maldives kept the top slot for ‘Family Destinations’, as did Thailand holidays for solo travelling,” read a statement from the tour operator.
Specific trends in demand identified in the customer survey were, according to Kuoni, “a thirst for discovery, authenticity of experience, social responsibility, and face to face contact with a travel expert when booking.”
The Commonwealth will provide technical expertise to the Maldives to help resolve the ongoing judicial crisis in the Maldives, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has stated.
High Commissioner of the Maldives to the UK, Dr Farahanaz Faizal, met with Deputy Secretary-General of the Commonwealth Mmasekgoa Masire-Mwamba this week and raised “the urgent need to modernise the Judiciary to international standards and possible Commonwealth assistance in this regard.”
The crisis was sparked on January 16 when the government ordered the military to detain Chief Judge of the Criminal Court, Abdulla Mohamed, after he filed a High Court injunction against his police summons.
Allegations against the judge dating back to 2005 include misogyny, sexual deviancy, throwing out an assault case despite the confession of the accused, political bias, obstruction of police duty, disregarding decisions of high courts, deliberately holding up cases involving opposition figures, barring media from corruption trials, ordering the release of suspects detained for serious crimes without a single hearing, maintaining “suspicious ties” with family members of convicts sentenced for dangerous crimes, and releasing a murder suspect “in the name of holding ministers accountable” who went on to kill another victim.
In one instance Abdulla Mohamed was accused of requesting that two underage victims of sexual assault act out their attack in court, in front of the perpetrator.
The judge had previously been under investigation by the Judicial Services Commission (JSC), but had successfully sought an injunction from the Civil Court against his further investigation by the judicial watchdog.
The ongoing detention of the judge has polarised public opinion in the Maldives and resulted in several weeks of opposition-led protests consisting of between 200-400 people, some of them resulting in violence and injuries to police, protesters and journalists.
Judge was “clearly demonstrating his independence”: ICJ Australia
Earlier this week ABC Radio in Australia aired an interview with John Dowd, President of the Australian branch of the International Commission of Jurists (ICJ), who stated that Judge Abdulla Mohamed had “clearly been demonstrating independence as he’s supposed to do and the government doesn’t like it.”
None of the government’s allegations against the judge warranted his arrest, Dowd argued, “and it’s clear that the must be immediately released. This will do serious damage to the Maldives internationally and their tourist industry is a big part of their income and they just can’t allow this to go on.”
The Maldivian judiciary, Dowd claimed, was “generally competent”.
“It’s not a legally focused country. They’ve had a change of government after some 30 odd years and there’s obviously a settling down period and they do need assistance in terms of bringing their legal system up to date. But nonetheless, there is nothing wrong with the way the judges carry out their duties and it’s just a classic situation of a government not liking someone’s decision.
“It’s got a funny legal system in that there are aspects of Sharia law in it and British Commonwealth law and so on. But I would have thought that the Commonwealth Secretariat could have arranged some judges or someone that could go in there to mediate, and the Commonwealth is the more likely basis for resolving the issue. It really is very difficult for outsiders to intervene and I don’t think the UN is the correct body,” Dowd told the ABC.
Maldives Foreign Minister Ahmed Naseem responded to the criticism on ABC Radio the following day.
The government, he said, did not want to keep Abdulla Mohamed under arrest, but did not want him sitting on the bench until the charges against him were cleared – “but the point here is that we are in a Catch-22 situation – which court do we go to?
“Existing judges swore themselves in unilaterally without looking into the relevant clauses of the constitution, which says that they have to be sworn in according to the new constitution.
“Now, this new constitution strictly stipulates that these judges should have qualification to act as judges. The present judges that we have don’t have these qualifications.
“There are quite a lot of people whose interests are vested with these judges. That is, there are politicians connected to the former regime, who have many court cases. Now all these court cases are being held by the judge who is under detention at the moment. No cases have been conducted on this and no sentence has been passed. So it’s in the interests of the opposition to see that this judge remains as a judge.”
The country’s “entire judiciary is at stake”, Naseem argued. “What democracy can we have, when we don’t have a proper judicial system and we can’t dispense justice properly? The democracies of the world should really help us and find ways of sorting this issue out. We have requested UN bodies to help us in this and they’ve promised to send us some people to sit down with us and work something through.”
Criminal Court letter
Meanwhile, a group of Criminal Court judges this week sent a letter to Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, Ahmed Faiz, contending that the Supreme Court had as much responsibility for the crisis as President Mohamed Nasheed.
Ensuring an independent judiciary as envisioned in the new constitution adopted in August 7, 2008 was “a legal as well as national duty” of the Supreme Court, the judges noted, adding that it was “regrettable” that the Criminal Court’s functions have not been developed in line with the changes to the criminal justice system.
Among the main points raised in the letter included the Supreme Court abolishing an article in the Judicature Act – “without any discussions with anyone” – that stipulated the formation of judicial councils, intended to represent all courts and provide advice and counsel.
The Supreme Court also took over a case filed at the Civil Court challenging the legality and validity of the JSC’s process for vetting candidates to the High Court “in the name of public interest litigation” and dismissed the case without issuing a verdict.
Moreover, the letter stated, the Chief Justice “turned a deaf ear” to numerous complaints from the public as well as judges and took no action regarding Chief Judge Abdulla Mohamed.
The judges also criticised the Supreme Court for not undertaking efforts towards dialogue with the government or President Nasheed to resolve the current crisis, calling on the Chief Justice to bring both sides to the negotiating table.
The letter took note of inconsistent standards and rulings made by different judges of the Criminal Court regarding extension of detention and evaluating evidence as well as the release of suspects detained for serious crimes, and referred to a list of “urgently needed” reforms previously recommended to the Supreme Court.
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