"We are very concerned about his detention," said Abbas Faiz, South Asia Researcher for Amnesty International in London. "The action that the government has taken appears to be discriminatory and politically motivated."
"That these charges come after the pledge of multiparty democracy ... speaks to the lack of commitment by President Gayoom to fundamental freedoms and human rights," the Hong Kong-based Asian Human Rights Commission said in a statement. "The entire legal process, including the judiciary, is controlled by the government, so there is no possibility of a fair trial," it added.
"This intolerable state of affairs must be brought to an end. The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) calls upon the government of the Maldives to unconditionally release those persons detained for voicing popular aspirations for democratic change, in particular, Mohammed Nasheed, and the charges against him must be dropped. The government must also allow for free and fair multiparty elections to be held.
"The entire trial process is a farce intended to intimidate the Maldivian Democratic Party," said Suhas Chakma, Director of the Delhi-based Asian Centre for Human Rights, a coalition of NGOs from South and Southeast Asia. "If they are saying it is an act of terrorism, the first question is whether the definition of terrorism meets international standards," he added
" The UN is committed to creating a universal culture of respect for human rights and is closely monitoring the situation in the Maldives. Allegations of human rights violations, including those which inhibit the right to freedom of opinion and expression; protest within the law and the right to freedom of association are viewed very seriously by the UN."
"Anni (Mohamed Nasheed) is symbolic for the government and for the people. For the people, he has come to represent the democratic aspirations of the nation. For the government, he is symbolic because he represents the ultimate threat – here is someone who will not be bowed, who will keep going, who has the capacity to group people as an opposition. He is seen as the personification of all opposition to the government and very senior people in government now have personal animosity towards him. All these things combined make Anni the sacrificial lamb." Ibrahim Ismail MP for Male'
“It looks that Gayoom is intent on getting Nasheed convicted under terrorism act and he would succeed under the notorious criminal justice system in Maldives. By this, he would be eliminating one major threat to his position. This is an outrageous act that needs to be condemned. It is hoped that the European Union would take due note of the misuse of terrorism laws to silence opposition in Maldives.” South Asia Analysis Group
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