HRCM “blind and deaf” over police brutality, claims MDP
31 May 2012, 5:22 PM
Ahmed Nazeer
Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) Spokesperson and MP Imthiyaz Fahmy ‘Inthi’ has condemned the Human Rights Commission of the Maldives (HRCM) for being “deaf and blind” to police brutality against MDP supporters.
Speaking to the press today at the MDP Secretariat, Inthi said that the MDP was deeply concerned that while there was a human rights commission to investigate rights violations, it had failed to notice these and instead accepted the police’s actions with their silence.
Inthi alleged that police had attacked MDP protesters as well as journalist during the recent protests over the dismantling of the Usfasgandu protest sight, and provided pictures.
He alleged that many MDP activists had been injured during police crackdowns and that some activists were beaten after being taken into police custody.
‘’They also forced the 56 arrested MDP supporters to give their urine samples to test for drugs, but they were all arrested for a political unrest on not on a drug related offence,’’ he said. Inthi himself was arrested the previous day during the crackdown.
“’I was arrested at the MDP protest campsite and the court released me, after the police told the judge that I had assaulted a female officer at the Usfasgandu,’’ he told the journalist. “Human rights organisations far away from the Maldives have expressed concern over rights violations here, but the Human Rights Commission in the Maldives has not seen or noticed anything.’’
HRCM had also failed to notice that the police had dismantled MDP protest campsite as Usgandu without a court warrant, he added.
‘’Today the police are operating as a gang, they are not police but are a group thugs,” he claimed. “The former commissioner of police has said they are now operating like a gang,’’ Inthi added.
HRCM Presdient Maryam Azra did not respond to Minivan News at time of press.
Police and army officers dismantled the MDP protest camp after the Criminal Court issued a search warrant following the police allegations of sorcery and other criminal offences being carried out at the campsite.
The Civil Court later ordered a halt to the dismantling of the camp, however police had by then destroyed most of the area.
The Civil Court order came following a case filed in court by the MDP which is still ongoing.