Police use pepper spray to disperse opposition prayer gathering
Riot police also thwarted on Wednesday morning a prayer gathering by opposition supporters outside the Islamic centre in Malé after the communal Eid al-Fitr prayer.
09 Jul 2016, 9:00 AM
Riot police forcibly dispersed the opposition’s weekly prayer gathering Friday afternoon, using pepper spray to push the crowd back and briefly detaining two men.
“Sending the police there on the orders of President Abdulla Yameen’s government and continuing to obstruct the prayer with force by confronting worshippers is absolutely unconstitutional,” the main opposition Maldivian Democratic Party said in a statement last night.
MDP MP Imthiyaz Fahmy was among several pepper sprayed at close range.
The police meanwhile put out a statement last night reiterating that “political activities will not be allowed inside or near mosques” and denying that any arrests were made.
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