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17th AUGUST 2006

Jennifer Latheef refuses presidential pardon and continues to serve her 10 years sentence

Friends of Maldives (FOM) welcomes the decision by Jennifer Latheef to refuse the presidential pardon she has been granted on Wednesday the 16th of August 2006. Ms Latheef told FOM: “If I accept the pardon, I will recognise that I am a terrorist. I want my name cleared of all charges. If I accept the pardon travelling and working will be harder for me with a criminal record such as “terrorism”. Moreover, it is unfair for me to be released when the four other prisoners sentenced for the same “crime” in 2003 are still in Maafushi prison.”

Jennifer Latheef was sentenced for 10 years for terrorism in October 2005 for allegedly throwing a stone at a policeman. Her trial was recognised unfair by the International Community and she was immediately declared Amnesty International prisoner of conscience.

• Friends of Maldives urges the Government of Maldives to clear Jennifer Latheef, as well as Abdullah Alexander (Alec), Ikleel Ibrahim (Ikul), Abdullah Shabir, Ahmed Moosa (Jordan) and Ziya Abbas, from all terrorism charges.

• FOM calls on all Political detainees to be released and for President Gayoom to stop using detainees as pawns in his negotiating games.

• FOM will maintain international pressure like the Selected Resort Boycott to force president Gayoom to cease arbitrary arrests in the Maldives.

• FOM calls upon the International Community actively exert pressure on Gayoom to release Mohamed Nasheed.  The lack of international intervention to force Gayoom to release Nasheed gives credence to the statements by Gayoom that the international community supports his so called Reform Roadmap.

MEDIA CONTACTS:

64 Milford Street
Salisbury
SP1 2BP
United Kingdom
T: +44 (0)1722 504330
E: enquiries@friendsofmaldives.org
W: www.friendsofmaldives.org

NOTES TO EDITORS

Friends of Maldives – www.friendsofmaldives.org

Friends of Maldives (FOM) is a non-governmental organisation (NGO) dedicated to the protection and promotion of human rights in the Maldives. Based in the UK and established in 2003. FOM focuses its activities on providing support and publicity to prisoners of conscience and good governance in the Maldives.