Maldives News

Trial begins for Rilwan abduction suspects

The family of the third suspect, Mohamed Suaid, informed the court in response to a summons that he was dead, Judge Adam Arif said.

Suspension lifted for 13 lawyers

Court dismisses police negligence lawsuit from murdered blogger’s family

The civil court has dismissed a lawsuit filed by the family of slain blogger Yameen Rasheed over the failure of the police to protect him despite numerous death threats reported to the authorities since 2014.

Ambassador to Sri Lanka stands by threat to detain Nasheed

The ambassador-designate’s remarks prompted the opposition leader’s high-profile counsel Amal Clooney to warn that “any attempt by a Maldivian diplomat to detain President Nasheed in Sri Lanka would constitute a violation of international law as well as Sri Lankan criminal law.”

Maldives absence from UN vote on mass atrocities draws fierce criticism

“As powerful nations are allowed to intervene in domestic affairs of nations in the name of the Responsibility to Protect or R2P principle, the Maldives decided a very long time ago not to participate in votes at the UN general assembly aimed at taking action under R2P,” the foreign ministry said.

Housing minister defends anonymised flat winners list

Muiz denied allegations that applicants of the government’s social housing programme were phoned by the first lady’s campaign office to check their political allegiance.

Three suspects charged with terrorism over Rilwan’s abduction

The Prosecutor General’s office pressed charges against Aalif Rauf, Mohamed Nooradeen, and Mohamed Suaid on August 15, a spokesman said. They were charged under the 1990 anti-terrorism act with “the act or the intention of kidnapping or abduction of a person or of taking a hostage.”

New tobacco rules to introduce graphic warnings, ban sale of single sticks

The sale of single sticks of cigarettes needs to be banned because “it is a tactic mainly used to lure children and young adolescents into smoking,” said Dr Aishath Aroona, vice chair of the Tobacco Control Board.

Port worker burned after accidental explosion

A port worker was severely burned and two others injured when an oil barrel exploded Tuesday morning near the welding workshop at the Maldives Ports Limited’s commercial harbour in Malé.

State revises charges against MP Faris

The Prosecutor General’s office has revised charges raised against MP Faris Maumoon from accepting bribes to offering to bribe fellow lawmakers to back the impeachment of the speaker.

Anonymised flat winners list prompts anti-corruption probe

The anti-corruption watchdog launched a probe after an anonymised list of 661 flat winners caused an uproar from unsuccessful applicants of the government housing programme.

Supreme Court urged to lift mass suspension of lawyers

“None of the 56 lawyers has been allowed to exercise their right to defend themselves or be heard before a disciplinary action,” noted the International Commission of Jurists, Transparency International, Forum Asia, and Frontline Defenders together with local NGO Maldivian Democracy Network.

Petition from lawyers for judicial reform

A group of Maldivian lawyers outlined serious concerns with the independence and functioning of the judiciary in a petition calling for wide-ranging reforms.

Maldives decries UN human rights chief’s criticism over crackdown on dissent

In his opening statement Monday at the UN Human Rights Council’s 36th session in Geneva, Zeid Ra’ad al-Hussain said the Maldivian government was “increasingly cracking down on critical views” and expressed concern about “reports of continued violations of the right to a fair trial, and allegations of political bias by the judiciary and law enforcement authorities.”

‘Maldives with Rohingya’: Raajje TV raises MVR4m for refugees

Several groups have been organising fundraising activities amidst an outpouring of sympathy for the fellow Sunni Muslims.

Party talks flounder over release of opposition leaders

Proposed talks between the government and opposition have collapsed with both sides blaming the other for the failure to resolve a protracted political crisis through dialogue.

54 lawyers suspended over ‘unlawful’ judicial reform petition

The four-party opposition coalition reacted to the unprecedented mass suspension by calling on the international community to consider imposing targeted travel and financial sanctions on Chief Justice Abdulla Saeed.

Yameen Rasheed murder trial begins with secret hearing

The PG spokesman told the Maldives Independent that the new criminal procedures law allows prosecutors to request secret proceedings “if they believe a circumstance that obstructs justice could arise in an open hearing”.

Maldives conferred WHO Excellence in Public Health award

The Maldives became the first member state of the WHO Southeast Asia region to be verified malaria-free in 2015 and went on to eliminate lymphatic filariasis and measles during the past two years.

US concerned with ‘status of rule of law and democracy’ in Maldives

The Maldives has produced more terrorists who have fought in Iraq and Syria than any other country in the world,” Acting Assistant Secretary Alice Wells told a congressional committee hearing on ‘Maintaining US influence in South Asia.’