Nasheed’s Counsel Delivers Sanctions List To Target Maldives Govt To UK | News World India

(Imaging: Sumant Chawla)

Counsel for former Maldives President Mohamed Nasheed on Thursday submitted a list of individuals responsible for serious human rights violations in the island nation to the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

The submitted list is currently being kept confidential, and follows a meeting between Minister of State at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office Hugo Swire, President Nasheed’s wife Laila Ali, and President Nasheed’s counsel Ben Emmerson QC and Amal Clooney.

Recently, the Yameen regime lifted a state of emergency citing security fears following conspiracy to assassinate the embattled President. President Yameen however declaring a state of emergency and suspending constitutional rights in response to “plans by some individuals to use … explosives and weapons” in the country. In reality, the state of emergency was used to prevent a mass protest by the opposition which was scheduled to take place two days later.

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The President’s move led to widespread international condemnation by the US, the EU, the UK, the Commonwealth and NGOs such as Amnesty International and Transparency International.Countries such as the UK and Australia also updated their travel advice to warn citizens planning to visit the Maldives.

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On 10 November, the Government was forced to revoke the declaration, citing the arrests of “some people” as the basis for its reversal. But the government is again seeking to restrict the right to peaceful protest ahead of a planned rally in the country tomorrow.

The political crisis has also eroded to a degree with a person’s human rights coming under threat, mostly through attacks on the Maldives’ independent press.

During the state of emergency, the national broadcasting authority warned privately-owned radio and TV stations that their licences would be withdrawn if they broadcast content “infringing on national security”. The Malé police raided the headquarters of private TV network Sangu, ordering the suspension of all broadcasting. And Raajje TV was compelled to suspend its coverage of political affairs after three of its journalists were unlawfully arrested and ill-treated by police officers. These incidents were characterised by Reporters Without Borders as part of a “wave of attempts to intimidate and deter the media from doing investigative reporting”.

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Meanwhile, former President Nasheed remains in prison, in declining health and with his right to consult with counsel routinely violated. The government has refused to comply with a judgment by the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention — the UN’s expert panel on the rights of detainees — that it should “release Mr. Nasheed immediately and accord him an enforceable right to compensation”.

Though initially put under house arrest following massive international calls for clemency, Mohamed Nasheed was again throw into prison after President Yameen secured concessions from the opposition MDP. Yameen has also refused to pardon Nasheed, even though he has the power to do so under section 115(s) of the state’s Constitution and section 29 of the Maldivian Clemency Act.

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The UN Secretary-General, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and the UN’s experts on arbitrary detention have further highlighted the human rights crisis, and called for the release of Nasheed and others.

The list submitted by Nasheed’s legal counsel identifies people most responsible for absuing human rights in the island nation. The submission hopes for targeted action against those individuals such as travel bans and asset freeze.