9th February 2007

FOM concerned over escalating violence and arrests of opposition members in the Maldives

Friends of Maldives (FOM) is alarmed over the current escalating violence in the southern atoll Addu and the capital Male'. Protests have rocked both places following a visit of President Gayoom to Addu. 

The Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) leadership protested in the capital Male' for the release of the prisoners in Addu, which led to the manhandling and the arrests of shadow ministers, parliamentarians, and the MDP chairman by the police forces. They have since been released.

Activists protested in Male' as President Gayoom returned from Addu. An activist, Nazeeha Ahmed was arrested under the guise of a traffic offence, and sent to Dhoonidhoo detention centre where she has been kept since.  

The current protests are the result of the frustration of the Maldivian people; they see their government signing numerous treaties and promising reforms, when the end result is always continued arbitrary arrests, unfair trials, people losing their jobs due to their political affiliations, more verbal promises and very little concrete reforms.

Independent media still struggles to function and are a regular target of the Maldives authorities. Since the start of the year 2007, a foreign journalist, Philip Wellman has been blacklisted for two years; the police have filed a case against Adduvas Magazine Editor Aishath Velezini and reporter Mohamed Waheed, for calling Maldives "a police state" in an article last year. Cartoonist Ahmed Abbas is still in prison for a quote he gave to Minivan daily.

MDP Shadow Minister for Education Abdulla Shehenaz and MDP MP Mr Shafeeq dragged by police in uniforms or in plain clothes while protesting for the release of prisoners on the 5th of February in Male'.

MEDIA CONTACTS:

Friends of Maldives

E: enquiries@friendsofmaldives.org
W: www.friendsofmaldives.org

NOTES TO EDITORS

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.