Amnesty International Report 1995 - Maldives

At least 15 possible prisoners of conscience were arrested because of their political views or religious practices. Dozens of others were arrested in the run-up to parliamentary elections. Some detainees were reportedly ill-treated. Parliamentary elections were held in December. Candidates stood as independents as no political parties are allowed in the country. A request to form a political party was submitted to the Ministry of Home Affairs in October but was turned down. In July legislation was passed by the Citizens' Majlis (parliament) providing for between two and five years' imprisonment for people found guilty of involvement in "giving religious advice that contravenes independence and the government policy … and the policy stated by the President". Imam Mohamed Ibrahim, Adam Naseem and Abdul Gafoor were among at least 15 people arrested in March apparently because their political views or religious practices were different from those sanctioned by the government. Adam Naseem, a former presidential adviser, may have been arrested in connection with his poem, Hayy ‘ala Salah (Call to Prayer), which was subsequently published in the newspaper Aafathis. The poem expressed concern about the deteriorating moral and political situation in the country. He was first held at Dhoonidhoo detention centre, and denied access to relatives; in July he was reportedly transferred to house arrest. Ahamed Didi from Gan island was arrested on 17 May and kept in detention until 27 June; he was rearrested in early November and held without charge or trial until 5 December. His arrest may have been in connection with the parliamentary elections, in which he was standing. Mohamed Saeed Moosa Wajdee, a journalist, was taken into custody by the police in Male‘ on 19 October, possibly because of an article he had written in the news-paper Haveeru. The article warned that some candidates, including government officials, might abuse their position in order to gain votes in the parliamentary elections. Another journalist, Mohamed Nasheed, was arrested on 30 November and charged with spreading false information about the government. The charges reportedly referred to an article he had written about the parliamentary elections. The article had been published in a magazine in Manila, the Philippines. The trial had not concluded by the end of the year. Mohamed Saleem, a member of parliament, who was among 22 people arrested in 1993 because of his apparent support for Ilyas Ibrahim, one of the presidential candidates (see Amnesty International Report 1994), continued to be held under house arrest pending trial. Charges of corruption were brought against him which may have been politically motivated. Sixteen of the others were reportedly sentenced to seven years' banishment. Nine of them had these sentences reduced to one year on appeal. There was no further information about the others. There were reports of ill-treatment of detainees at a place of detention near the Air Maldives office in Male‘ and at Dhoonidhoo detention centre, where prisoners were held for months in solitary confinement. Amnesty International expressed concern about the arrest of people because of their political views or religious practices and sought information about their cases. It urged the government to release all those held for the peaceful expression of their political or religious beliefs unless specific criminal charges were brought against them. It sought clarification about the law providing for terms of imprisonment for "giving religious advice". The government denied the allegations about arrests of candidates in the elections. It did not respond to requests for information about the 15 people arrested in March or about the arrest of Mohamed Saeed Moosa Wajdee.