At least 22 possible prisoners of conscience were arrested in the run-up to presidential elections. Over 30 political prisoners arrested in previous years, including some prisoners of conscience, were released. In October President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom was re-elected for his fourth term as President. In the Republic of Maldives, parliament elects a presidential candidate by secret vote and puts its choice to the people to ratify in a referendum. Three candidates stood in the parliamentary vote in August. The candidate who came second, Ilyas Ibrahim, had fled the country earlier. At least 22 supporters and associates of Ilyas Ibrahim were arrested between April and September. They appeared to be possible prisoners of conscience. Some were convicted of attempting to assist Ilyas Ibrahim to take power by irregular means. Don Didi, a woman arrested in June, was sentenced in late August to 10 years' banishment after being convicted of using black magic on Ilyas Ibrahim's behalf. Mohamed Saleem, a member of parliament, was arrested in September. He was released after 15 days, but then rearrested and placed under house arrest, apparently without charge or trial. In October all those held in connection with Ilyas Ibrahim were reportedly transferred to house arrest. Ilyas Ibrahim was tried in absentia in September for allegedly breaking his ministerial oath and violating the Constitution, and sentenced to over 15 years' banishment. Over 30 prisoners arrested in previous years - some prisoners of conscience and other political prisoners sentenced after unfair trials - were released by order of the President or because they had served their sentences. Among them was prisoner of conscience Mohamed Nasheed, who had spent 18 months in solitary confinement before being sentenced to three years' imprisonment for withholding information on an alleged conspiracy against the government in 1990. Four other prisoners sentenced after unfair trials in the same conspiracy case had been released in May. They were Mohamed Shafeeq, Abdullah Muaaz Ahmed, Mohamed Khaleel and Ilyas Hussein. Six remaining prisoners of conscience from a group of seven arrested in March 1990 for distributing leaflets alleging vote-rigging were released by the end of the year. Released prisoners reported that police had ill-treated them in pre-trial detention. Political prisoners and others are commonly held in police custody at Dhoonidhoo detention centre, where they may be held for months in solitary confinement, sometimes in handcuffs, and subjected to other forms of cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment. Amnesty International learned during the year that seven Sri Lankan Tamils imprisoned in connection with a failed coup attempt in 1988 (see Amnesty International Report 1989) had been held in chains at Gamadhoo prison island until the middle of 1993. They were transferred to Sri Lanka in November. In June Amnesty International published a report which documented over 30 cases of prisoners of conscience or other political prisoners sentenced after unfair trials since 1990. Amnesty International urged the government to release all prisoners of conscience, ensure that all other political prisoners received fair and prompt trials, and take steps to prevent ill-treatment and torture. There was no response from the government. In October Amnesty International expressed concern about the arrests of supporters of Ilyas Ibrahim and sought information about their cases. The government responded by saying that they had all contravened the Constitution and laws of the country and had been sentenced accordingly, but gave no details.

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