Amnesty Prisoner of Conscience

32 years old

Journalist for Minivan Daily and human rights activist, pro-democracy campaigner and council member of the Maldivian Democratic Party

Graduated from San Francisco University in Media Studies

19.09.03: Evan Naseem is murdered in custody. Jennifer works for the family to retrieve his body.

22.09.03: Jennifer is arrested for documenting and reporting on the riots that sparked in Male’ following the murder of Evan Naseem

Nov 03: Jennifer is released without charge.

22.06.04: State controlled media announced the trial of Jennifer for terrorism

13.08.04: Jennifer is arrested along with 200 other peaceful protestors. She is kept 74 days without charge. According to Amnesty International she was subjected to cruel and inhuman punishment.

12.08.05: Jennifer attends peaceful vigil in Male’ in remembrance of the crackdown peaceful protestors in 2004. She is the author of the picture below that travelled around the world as proof that vigil was peaceful:

18.10.05: Jennifer is sentenced to 10 years in prison for terrorism. She is accused of inciting during the September 2003 riots and of throwing a stone at a policeman, allegations she fervently denies. According to the Maldives Government there are “overwhelming” evidences of her creating violence in the streets that day in forms of photos and videos. The evidences were never produced during her trial or anywhere else.

What can you do to help Jennifer? Find out here

Background Information:

the September 2003 riots

On 19.09.03, Evan Naseem a 19-year old boy was beaten to death by his prison guards using steel bars. His death sparked off disturbances in prison caused by his fellow inmates. The prison guards shot 19 and killed 4 prisoners.

Jennifer helped Evan Naseem’s family to retrieve his body. Major civil disturbances followed in the capital Male’ as the people were infuriated over the murders. Jennifer followed the protests in order to report on the events that were taking place in Male’.

The Death of Evan Naseem represents the birth of the pro-democracy movement in the Maldives. Shortly after these riots the Maldivian Democratic Party officially declared itself as a political party in exile. Due to International news coverage the secret dictatorship in the Maldives was exposed to the world.