Maldives: Supreme Court upholds conviction of jailed justices

June 20, 2018

The Supreme Court has rejected appeals from jailed Chief Justice Abdulla Saeed and Justice Ali Hameed, effectively removing the pair from the bench.

The three-judge bench decided Wednesday not to hear the cases of their former colleagues as there were “no grounds” to challenge the High Court judgment.

Saeed and Hameed were convicted of influencing official conduct in May. The High Court upheld the lower court verdict on June 3 but reduced the sentence to one year and two months.

Wednesday’s decision clears the way for the president to appoint replacements following confirmation by parliament.

Controversial legal changes were pushed through in March to remove judges once a conviction is upheld by the Supreme Court, the final stage of appeal.

The new rule circumvents the parliamentary vote to remove a Supreme Court justice called for by the constitution, which requires a two-thirds majority to approve a finding of gross incompetence or misconduct by the judicial watchdog.

…

https://maldivesindependent.com/politics/supreme-court-upholds-conviction-of-jailed-justices-138879

https://raajje.mv/en/news/35145

http://www.supremecourt.gov.mv/eng/justices.php?justicename=saeed

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

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Maldives/AI: Politically-motivated convictions of former president, former Supreme Court judges

June 13, 2018

Responding to the sentencing of former Maldivian President, Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, former Chief Justice Abdulla Saeed, and another Supreme Court judge, Justice Ali Hameed each to 19 months in prison after being found guilty of “obstructing justice”, Amnesty International’s South Asia Director, Biraj Patnaik, said:

“These convictions are politically-motivated, and the product of trials that did not meet international standards – they must be quashed immediately.

“The Maldivian government appears to be using the courts to exact revenge for the 1^st February 2018 judgement that ordered the release and retrial of key opposition politicians.

“Instead of implementing that judgement, the government has doubled down on political repression by throwing the chief justice and another judge behind bars, along with a former president, in a process that travesties justice rather than upholding it.”

…

https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2018/06/maldives-politicallymotivated-convictions-of/

https://www.hrw.org/news/2018/06/15/maldives-slide-toward-one-party-rule

https://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/former-maldives-president-and-supreme-court-chief-justice-convicted-for-obstruction-of-justice/story-MbcDX2OBBgnuirVpaPwPrN.html

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-maldives-politics/former-president-maldives-and-chief-justice-sentenced-for-obstruction-of-justice-idUSKBN1J92LX

https://www.firstpost.com/world/former-maldives-president-maumoon-abdul-gayoom-sitting-chief-justice-abdulla-saeed-sentenced-to-19-months-in-prison-4509839.html

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/india-dismayed-over-long-prison-terms-to-former-maldivian-prez-chief-justice/articleshow/64583603.cms

https://www.financialexpress.com/world-news/us-urges-maldives-to-release-all-political-prisoners/1207048/

https://sputniknews.com/asia/201806141065400797-maldives-denied-free-trial/

http://www.uniindia.com/~/all-court-proceedings-as-per-law-maldives/India/news/1261780.html

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/big-brother-indias-small-brother-problems/articleshow/64644557.cms

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

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

Maldives: Gayoom and top judges found guilty of obstructing justice

June 13, 2018

A court Wednesday sentenced the Maldives former president Maumoon Abdul Gayoom to 19 months in prison after he was found guilty of obstructing justice.

Gayoom, Chief Justice Abdulla Saeed and Justice Ali Hameed were charged for allegedly refusing to hand over their mobile phones for a police investigation. They denied the charge.

They were handed a prison term of one year, seven months and six days.

The trio were arrested on charges of plotting a coup, shortly after a state of emergency was declared on February 5 and following a Supreme Court order to release nine political prisoners.

They face numerous charges, which they have denied.

Condemnation of the trial, which went ahead despite a boycott from defence lawyers, was swift.

Amnesty International slammed the conviction as “politically motivated” and said the trial did not meet international standards, while MP Eva Abdulla urged people to use their vote in September’s presidential elections to “end injustice.”

…

https://maldivesindependent.com/crime-2/gayoom-and-top-judges-found-guilty-of-obstructing-justice-138802

https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2018/06/maldives-politicallymotivated-convictions-of/

https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/maldives-court-sentences-strongman-accused-plotting-overthrow-government-55858282

https://raajje.mv/en/news/34698

https://raajje.mv/en/news/34631

https://raajje.mv/en/news/34664

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

 

Maldives: High court reduces jail term for justices

June 3, 2018

The High Court has on Sunday reduced the jail term imposed on Supreme Court Chief Justice Abdulla Saeed and Justice Ali Hameed.

The two were proven guilty for influencing the conduct of a public official and influencing court orders and sentenced to a total of one year, seven months and six days in prison on the 10th of May.

The High Court reduced the jail term by over four months, following which both justices will now serve a jail term of one year, two months and 12 days.

Read More: Detained SC justices Saeed, Hameed to be sentenced on Thursday

Saeed and Hameed are also charged with obsruction of justice for their refusal to hand over their mobile phones to the police service. They were arrested and taken into police custody on February 6 following allegations of planning a coup.

An additional sentence on Saeed includes a jail term of four months and 24 days in prison over charges of interfering with the functions of the government. Saeed is accused of blocking the Supreme Court from recieving messages by ordering employees to halt the Government E-Letter Management System (GEMS).

Saeed and Hameed also face terrorism charges for the alleged coup plot and if found guilty, they stand to lose their positions in court as well as face a jail term of upto 17 years.

https://raajje.mv/en/news/33967

https://en.sun.mv/48896

https://raajje.mv/en/news/34107

https://raajje.mv/en/news/34144

https://raajje.mv/en/news/34240

https://raajje.mv/en/news/34295

https://maldivesindependent.com/crime-2/court-rejects-defence-witnesses-from-gayoom-and-judges-138747

https://raajje.mv/en/news/34482

https://raajje.mv/en/news/34598

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

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

Maldives: Lawyers defending SC Justices withdraw from obstruction trial

May 31, 2018

In the hearing held on Wednesday over the state’s obstruction charges against Supreme Court chief justice Abdulla Saeed and justice Ali Hameed, their defence teams withdrew from the trial after describing proceedings as unlawful.

Lawyers Hisaan Hussain, Nooru’salaam Abubakur, and Masthoor Husni, who represent chief justice Saeed, withdrew from the case after informing the court that they view ongoing proceedings as unlawful and unconstitutional, and do not see a way in which they can adequately defend the rights of their clients.

While both justices are facing terrorism allegations for ‘conspiring to overthrow the government’, they are charged with a number of other crimes as well for some of which they have already been sentenced to jail terms. The obstruction charges have to do with their refusal to provide officers access to their mobile phones.

Former president Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, who is also facing the same charges as justices Saeed and Hameed, had also refused to provide officers access to his phone. Maumoon’s lawyers had also withdrawn from the case in a hearing held on Tuesday.

The trio are being tried for obstruction together and a hearing in the case has been scheduled for Thursday as well.

https://raajje.mv/en/news/33754

https://maldivestimes.com/more-lawyers-walk-out-of-trial/

https://international.thenewslens.com/article/96754

https://www.ifex.org/maldives/2018/05/30/opposition-candidates-barred/

https://www.fidh.org/en/region/asia/maldives/cease-harassment-of-human-rights-defenders-establish-accountability

https://www.hrw.org/news/2018/05/29/maldives-opposition-candidates-barred-election

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

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

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

Maldives: Gayoom and SC Justices hearing cancelled

May 24, 2018

The hearing scheduled for Thursday in the charges raised against Former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, Supreme Court Chief Justice Abdulla Saeed and Justice Ali Hameed for obstruction of justice, was cancelled.

Gayoom, along with Saeed and Hameed were alleged of obstruction of justice when they refused to hand over their mobile phones after being taken into police custody upon the declaration of the state of emergency on the 05th of February. They are being charged for allegedly attempting to overthrow a legally established administration.

The hearing was one where both sides were to present evidence in their cases.

Criminal court did not disclose a specific reason as to why the hearing was cancelled.

Hearings in the case were cancelled on previous occassions as well. The reason for some of the cancellations being Gayoom’s health deterioration.

Additional charges have been pressed on the three as well. As such, Gayoom received terrorism allegations for allegedly bribing Justices and parliament members to unlawfully overthrow the government, trial of which has been hindered given his ailment.

Saeed and Hameed were found guilty of influencing the conduct of a public official and sentenced to a period of one year, seven months and six days in prison earlier in May.

The sentence has since been appealed at High Court and hearings in the appeal were to commence on Thursday.

Additionally, the chief justice has also been found guilty of interefing with the functions of the government, and was sentenced to four months and 24 days in prison. While this has been appealed, the hearings are yet to commence.

Other charges pressed against the Supreme Court justices include terrorism and bribery. If the terrorism allegations against them are proven guilty, both justices stand to lose their seats on the Supreme Court bench and face a jail term of upto 17 years.

https://raajje.mv/en/news/33234

https://raajje.mv/en/news/33186

https://avas.mv/en/49068

http://www.frontline.in/world-affairs/strongarm-tactics/article10108359.ece

https://raajje.mv/en/news/33088

https://raajje.mv/en/news/33373

https://raajje.mv/en/news/33512

https://raajje.mv/en/news/33485

https://raajje.mv/en/news/33581

https://raajje.mv/en/news/33676

https://raajje.mv/en/news/33643

https://raajje.mv/en/news/33645

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

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

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

http://www.supremecourt.gov.mv/eng/?decision=eng

Maldives: Justices’ prison sentences filed for appeal

May 16, 2018

Appeals have been filed at the High Court regarding the Supreme Court Chief Justice Abdulla Saeed and Justice Ali Hameed’s prison convictions.

Saeed’s legal representative Noorul Salam Abubakr said they have requested the appeals on Tuesday.

The appeals are for the one year, seven months, and six days jail term imposed on both Justices on the 10th of May for influencing the conduct of a public official, and the four months and 24 days in prison imposed on Saeed on the 24th of May for interfering with functions of the government.

Read More: Both detained SC justices Saeed, Hameed sentence to imprisonment

While Saeed is doing time for a total of two years in incarceration, several other allegations have also been raised against him including terrorism and accepting bribes. for which the trials have already begun.

…

https://raajje.mv/en/news/32707

https://raajje.mv/en/news/32691

https://raajje.mv/en/news/32554

https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/maldives-chief-justice-jailed-months-55014626

https://raajje.mv/en/news/32771

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

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