Maldives urged to break with ‘repressive past’

Abdulla Yameen, whose government presided over rights abuses and erosion of freedoms that triggered sanctions from the European Union and the threat of sanctions from the US, was ousted from power in a recent election.

He conceded defeat to his opponent, Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, and Monday night was mostly peaceful in the capital as thousands of people armed with flags and optimism took to the streets to celebrate.

The change in government was an opportunity to break with the past and chart a fresh course where human rights were at the heart of the policies and action of the new government, Amnesty International said.