Maldives: Obstruction conviction of ex-Supreme Court justice overturned

December 5, 2018

Hameed was found guilty of obstruction of justice for refusing to hand over a mobile phone to the police. 

The High Court overturned Wednesday former Supreme Court justice Ali Hameed’s conviction over his refusal to hand over a mobile phone to the police.

A three-judge panel quashed the criminal court verdict citing due process violations and insufficient evidence.

Hameed was found guilty of obstruction of justice and sentenced to 19 months in prison along with former chief justice Abdulla Saeed and former president Maumoon Abdul Gayoom.

All three were arrested in February on separate charges of conspiring to topple the government. Former president Abdulla Yameen claimed the justices accepted bribes and instigated a coup with the Supreme Court’s February 1 order for the release of his jailed opponents.

Following Yameen’s election defeat, the High Court overturned Gayoom’s conviction on the same obstruction of justice charge.

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https://maldivesindependent.com/crime-2/obstruction-conviction-of-ex-supreme-court-justice-overturned-143068

https://raajje.mv/en/news/45879

Maldives: Ex-judges and chief prosecutor released to house arrest

November 19, 2018

The release of political prisoners on the first day in office was a campaign pledge of President Solih.

Former chief justice Abdulla Saeed, former justice Ali Hameed, former prosecutor general Muhthaz Muhsin and former magistrate Ahmed Nihan have been released to house arrest as President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih formed a committee for the release of political prisoners.

The release of political detainees on the first day in office was a campaign pledge of the joint opposition candidate.

The former judges and chief prosecutor were transferred from the Maafushi prison Sunday night, the Maldives Correctional Service confirmed.

Saeed and Hameed are serving jail sentences of more than three years on two separate convictions. The former justices, who were arrested during a state of emergency in February after the Supreme Court ordered the release of jailed politicians, denied the “fabricated and politically-motivated” charges.

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https://maldivesindependent.com/politics/ex-judges-and-chief-prosecutor-released-to-house-arrest-142694

https://edition.mv/news/7912

https://raajje.mv/en/news/44749

https://raajje.mv/en/news/44486

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abdulla_Saeed

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chief_Justice_of_the_Maldives

Maldives: Imprisoned Supreme Court justices tried unfairly, they must be released: Nasheed

November 8, 2018

Former Chief Justice Abdulla Saeed and former Justice Ali Hameed were tried unfairly and they must be released, says former president Mohamed Nasheed.

Nasheed said this while speaking at a rally in Meedhoo island of Addu City, Justice Saeed’s native island, and called on judicial authorities to facilitate their release.

The Criminal Court in May sentenced the apex court justices to nearly five months in prison, on charges of obstructing government administration and justice.

Read More: Mariya urges justices to review court order to release political prisoners

The justices were arrested in February, along with former president Maumoon Abdul Gayoom – whom Nasheed defeated through ballots in 2008 – during the political crisis that ensued after the Supreme Court ordered the release of political prisoners.

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https://raajje.mv/en/news/44108

https://edition.mv/news/7774

https://edition.mv/news/7752

https://raajje.mv/en/news/43695

https://raajje.mv/en/news/44486

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abdulla_Saeed

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chief_Justice_of_the_Maldives

Maldives: Criminal Court drops bribery charges against ex-top court justices

October 10, 2018

The Criminal Court on Wednesday annulled the bribery charges levied against former Chief Justice Abdulla Saeed and former Judge Ali Hameed of the Supreme Court.

Saeed and Hameed were arrested and indicted of several charges over the top court’s landmark ruling of February 1 to release political prisoners. The state charged the two former justices and former Chief Judicial Administrator Hassan Saeed with accepting bribes, under accusations that Jumhooree Party founder Qasim Ibrahim’s Villa Group had paid for expensive properties in Malaysia that were acquired by people linked to the three.

The Criminal Court annulled their charges, stating that it could not proceed with the case based on the burden of proof.

The court also nullified the case against Qasim Ibrahim’s son Siyad Qasim, who was arrested and charged with giving bribes, in the case. The court annulled the charge, stating that the prosecution had not submitted evidence that proved Villa Group had paid for the properties in Malaysia.

While the court has dropped their bribery charges, Abdulla Saeed and Ali Hameed are serving jail sentences of more than three years over two convictions, while Hassan Saeed is imprisoned for four months and 24 days over one conviction.

The state has also levied terrorism charges against Abdulla Saeed and Ali Hameed. Their trials are currently ongoing.

https://edition.mv/news/7473

https://maldivesindependent.com/crime-2/bribery-charges-dismissed-against-ex-supreme-court-justices-141998

https://avas.mv/en/55266

https://raajje.mv/en/news/42256

https://maldivesindependent.com/politics/no-charges-against-ex-vice-presidents-lawyer-142122

Maldives: Ex-AG suspended from practicing law for a period of four months

October 9, 2018

Department of Judicial Administration (DJA) has decided to suspend Former Attorney General and prominent lawyer Husnu Al Suood for four months.

DJA, run under the Supreme Court of the Maldives, made the announcement on Tuesday, stating that Suood’s suspension is effective from Tuesday for the span of four months. He was suspended after thorough investigation under the regulations set for law practitioners in the Maldives.

The ex-AG’s suspension comes following an inappropriate tweet he had posted regarding which read that the Supreme Court’s decision to extend a presidential term in 2013 is illegitimate.

It is also followed by an interview he gave to VNews in which he says that former President Dr. Mohamed Waheed’s term, who came into power after then President Mohamed Nasheed was ousted, had been extended under a Supreme Court ruling. He had gone on to say that this decision was illegitimate.

This is not the first time the ex-Attorney General has been suspended from practicing law.

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https://raajje.mv/en/news/42181

https://edition.mv/news/7304

https://maldivesindependent.com/politics/prominent-lawyer-suspended-for-criticising-supreme-court-141988

https://raajje.mv/en/news/42990

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Husnu_Al_Suood

Maldives: New government must break with repressive past

September 25, 2018

The change of government in the Maldives presents a huge opportunity to break with the repression and human rights violations of the past and chart a fresh course where human rights are at the heart of the policies and action of the new government, Amnesty International said today.

The 23 September 2018 presidential election saw the defeat of President Abdulla Yameen to the Joint Opposition candidate Ibrahim Mohamed Solih. Abdulla Yameen’s rule was marked by attacks on civil society, media workers, the political opposition and the judiciary.

“This is a golden opportunity for the Maldives. The new government must break with the country’s repressive past and put the protection of human rights at the heart of its policies and action,” said Dinushika Dissanayake, Deputy South Asia Director at Amnesty International.

“The joint opposition made several pledges when it comes to the human rights situation in the Maldives. Now, it is time to begin to translate those words into action, including by releasing those people who were wrongly imprisoned, repealing repressive laws, and creating an environment conducive to full respect for human rights and where civil society can flourish.”

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https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2018/09/maldives-new-government-must-break-with-repressive-past/

https://edition.mv/news/7289

https://avas.mv/en/54591

https://raajje.mv/en/news/41268

https://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-international/gayoom-other-prisoners-seek-freedom/article25032855.ece

https://in.news.yahoo.com/yameen-grip-loosens-maldives-court-044439415.html

https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asia/jailed-ex-leader-seeks-freedom-after-surprise-vote-in-maldives-10753708

https://www.aninews.in/news/world/asia/maldives-court-releases-5-political-prisoners201809251623520001/

https://edition.cnn.com/2018/09/23/asia/maldives-election/index.html

https://www.france24.com/en/20180926-yameen-resists-freeing-maldives-political-prisoners-opposition

https://www.hrw.org/news/2018/09/26/maldives-democratic-transition-under-threat

https://edition.mv/news/7335

Maldives: Criminal Court remands lawyer Siraj for six days

September 21, 2018

The Criminal Court of the Maldives has remanded former Vice President Ahmed Adeeb’s legal representative Moosa Siraj for six days.

Jailed Adeeb’s defence lawyer was arrested on Thursday night under a court order decreeing that publicizing his client’s statements was a criminal offence.

The police raided his apartment on Friday morning and seized some documents, a pen drive, and a hard disk.

Read More: Maldives police seize ‘pen drive, hard disk’ from lawyer Siraj’s apartment

Upon being presented before the judge later in the evening, he had been remanded by six days after he confirmed publicizing his client’s statements. At the remand hearing Siraj had declared that he had done whatever needed to be done in his client’s defense as he is a law practitioner.

Read More: Jailed ex-VP’s lawyer arrested over statements revealing Yameen’s alleged sorcery

“Have any of you heard of a thing called lawyer-client privileges?” asked Siraj, going on to challenge the police service to present a law that states what he had done is illegal, which the police had failed to do. The officer investigating Siraj’s case had then claimed that the rights of President Yameen and General Shiyam had been compromised due to the statements.

Highlighting that President Abdulla Yameen is a candidate vying for Presidency in the Sunday election, the officer had stated that Siraj posed a threat to national security.

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https://raajje.mv/en/news/41108

https://edition.mv/news/7260

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2018/09/maldives-votes-high-stakes-election-test-democracy-180923042346776.html

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-45592375

https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/latest-arrests-maldives-elections-eve-raid-58019415

https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/police-raid-maldives-opposition-headquarter-ahead-of-vote-1920709

https://www.lebanontourism.org/timeline-of-political-events-leading-up-to-maldives-election/

https://www.hrw.org/news/2018/09/19/maldives-election-rigging-feared

https://edition.mv/news/7335

https://edition.mv/news/7330

https://www.ouest-france.fr/monde/maldives/maldives-abdulla-yameen-president-autoritaire-d-un-pays-de-carte-postale-5981815 (FRANCAIS)

https://www.lejdd.fr/international/asie/les-maldives-leurs-plages-et-leur-autocrate-islamiste-3762434 (FRANCAIS)

https://www.rts.ch/info/monde/9863730-les-maldives-votent-a-une-election-presidentielle-controversee.html (FRANCAIS)