Maldives

Government dismisses international concern over Nasheed’s re-imprisonment

“We do not accept the statements by these countries, nothing that contravenes the Maldivian Constitution and laws have occurred,” said Foreign Minister Dunya Maumoon.

13 Maldivians caught extracting oil from sea turtles

Some 13 Maldivians were briefly detained on Tuesday for killing at least three sea turtles, a protected animal in the Maldives. They were caught in the process of extracting oil from turtles.

Court splits Haveeru ownership

The High Court ruling clears the way for three founding members of Haveeru News Agency to sue its current owner, Dr Zahir Hussain, for a share of the newspaper’s profits for the past 35 years.

Investigation underway into documents on Nasheed’s house-arrest

Former President Mohamed Nasheed’s lawyers have shared with the police CCTV footage of a government official who delivered documents informing the opposition leader of his permanent transfer to house arrest.

Political crisis risks authoritarian reversal in Maldives, warns rights groups

“We documented a serious erosion of the independence, impartiality and integrity of the judiciary, which has resulted in the deterioration in the rule of law in the Maldives and the stalling of the country’s transition toward a more representative government,” said Hina Jilani, SAHR Chairperson and a Commissioner of the ICJ.

US renews calls for Nasheed’s release

John Kirby, the US State Department spokesman, said the US is “disturbed” by Nasheed’s late-night transfer to prison from house arrest on Sunday.

President pardons convicted drug trafficker

President Yameen has pardoned Ismail Shaheem, from Thaa Thimarafushi Karankavilla, was arrested in June 2011 along with alleged drug kingpin Ibrahim Shafaz Abdul Razzaq ‘Shafa’ with more than 800 grams of heroin following a two-year long operation.

Cameron concerned over Nasheed’s re-imprisonment

David Cameron, the British Prime Minister, has expressed concern over the re-imprisonment of former President Mohamed Nasheed on Sunday.

Nasheed denied access to lawyers

“For lawyers to meet someone who is in custody, a request form must be filled and there is a procedure. It is not something we can arrange at an instant,” said the Maldives Correctional Services’ spokesperson.

MDP withdraws from talks, plans to restart anti-government campaign

The main opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) is planning to restart a stalled antigovernment campaign in the wake of the re-imprisonment of former President Mohamed Nasheed.

Nasheed’s re-imprisonment a “serious set-back,” says UN rights chief

“The return of Mr. Nasheed to prison in our view constitutes a serious set-back to the human rights situation as well as to moves towards finding a political solution in the Maldives. The High Commissioner has therefore urged the Government to consider former President Nasheed’s early release,” a spokesperson said.

Supreme Court endorses new curriculum for judges

The Supreme Court has adopted a curriculum to educate Maldivian judges on constitutional law and to develop the judiciary’s professional skills.

Police and immigration team up on human-trafficking, Maldivian Jihadists

The police and the Immigration Department are boosting information sharing to tackle chronic problems of human trafficking, the outflow of Maldivians Jihadists and document forgery.

Court rejects Nasheed’s prison transfer challenge

The criminal court has thrown out a petition filed by former President Mohamed Nasheed requesting his transfer from house arrest to prison be ruled arbitray and illegal.

Government blames Nasheed’s lawyers for ‘failure to verify house-arrest documents’

The government today denied commuting former President Mohamed Nasheed’s 13-year jail term to house arrest, suggesting official documents publicised by his lawyers may have been forged.

Minimum reserve requirement for banks reduced to 10 percent

The government has reduced the minimum reserve requirement (MRR) for commercial banks at the Maldives Monetary Authority (MMA) from 20 percent to 10 percent, Vice President Ahmed Adeeb revealed last night.

Lawyers request Criminal Court to rule Nasheed’s detention arbitrary

Former President Mohamed Nasheed’s lawyers have requested the criminal court to rule his transfer from house arrest to a high security prison as illegal and arbitrary.

Government to develop second artificial beach in Malé

The capital’s second artificial beach is to be developed with a recreational area fishing pier, waterfront pavilion, beachfront park, waterfront promenade, underground parking facility, cafés, dive spots, waterfront residential mix, and a fort.

Parliament approves legal changes for registering small plots of land

Official accused of corruption appointed to human rights watchdog

The parliament today appointed a former government official accused of defrauding the state of MVR24million (US$1.55million) to the Human Rights Commission of Maldives (HRCM).