Amnesty International Report 1996 - Maldives

Several possible prisoners of conscience were arrested because of their political views or religious practices. Some detainees were reportedly ill-treated. Ahamed Shafeeq, a 67-year-old former senior civil servant and writer, and Ali Moosa Didi, a writer and politician, were arrested in April at Ahamed Shafeeq's house. The police removed personal diaries and papers written by Ahamed Shafeeq. The two men were transferred to house arrest on 1 July and 27 August respectively and were held under house arrest, without charge or trial, until the end of December. Ahamed Shafeeq's son, Mohamed Shafeeq, was arrested in July, possibly in connection with two letters he wrote to President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom when his father was taken into detention. Mohamed Shafeeq was held at Dhoonidhoo detention centre until mid-August when he was transferred to house arrest. He was released in late August. Another man who had been at Ahamed Shafeeq's house at the time of his arrest was taken into custody in June. He was allowed to travel to Sri Lanka for medical treatment in mid-July, where he remained at the end of the year. Ahamed Shafeeq and Ali Moosa Didi were possible prisoners of conscience. They appeared to have been arrested in connection with private comments they had made regarding in particular the cost of a newly constructed presidential palace. In August, Mohamed Latheef, a linguist, aged 74, was arrested. He was held in incommunicado detention at Male‘ police headquarters for 11 days. He was transferred to house arrest in mid-October and held without charge until the end of December. His arrest might have been related to a request submitted in 1994 to the Ministry of Home Affairs to establish a political party (see Amnesty International Report 1995), to which he was reportedly one of the signatories. Twelve followers of the Wahabi doctrine were arrested in July, allegedly for preaching without a permit in violation of July 1994 legislation (see Amnesty International Report 1995). Imam Mohamed Ibrahim, arrested in 1994, continued to be held without charge or trial under house arrest. Adam Naseem was sentenced to six months' house arrest in connection with a poem he wrote expressing concern about the moral and political situation in the country (see Amnesty International Report 1995). He was released in October. Mohamed Saleem and "Theyo" Latheef, two members of parliament arrested in 1993 (see previous Amnesty International Reports), were reportedly acquitted after standing trial on charges of corruption. However, upon appeal by the government, the High Court sentenced them to five and a half years' banishment in April. There were reports of ill-treatment at Dhoonidhoo detention centre, where prisoners were held in solitary confinement for long periods. Amnesty International expressed concern about the arrest of people in contravention of their right to freedom of expression and appealed for their immediate and unconditional release, if they were not to be charged with recognizably criminal offences. It also called for humane treatment of prisoners. In mid-June the government responded that Ahamed Shafeeq and Ali Moosa Didi "had been taken into custody on charges of having contravened the law" but gave no further details of the reasons for their arrest. In February Amnesty International published a report, Republic of Maldives: Freedom of Expression under Threat, summarizing its concerns about the arrest and detention of dozens of people in connection with the parliamentary elections of 1994 and the presidential elections of 1993.