A digest of news and opinion from the Maldives.
The Elections Commission has not explained the delay in holding by-elections for 12 constituencies that have lacked parliamentary representation for months. The affected constituencies are those where lawmakers were stripped of their seats after being expelled from the ruling Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM). The EC announced last August there would be by-elections for the […]
The Maldives is ready to carry out executions, local media has reported a government minister as saying, ending a six-decade moratorium on capital punishment. Home Minister Azleen Ahmed told Raajje TV that work has been completed on building a place to carry out the death penalty and that executions will resume as soon as legal […]
Authorities must investigate those who speak out against religion, the Maldives’ ruling party has said, condemning former president Mohamed Nasheed for his defence of an NGO chief at the centre of a religion row and criticising opposition leaders for their silence. Shahindha Ismail, executive director of the Maldivian Democracy Network, has been under fire for […]
The Maldives main opposition will support a presidential candidate from another party if its own candidate is jailed or barred from contesting next year’s elections, one of several official declarations made about 2018’s key poll. Hassan Latheef, the Maldivian Democratic Party’s Chairperson, told media on Sunday that it would push to have its candidate run […]
Authorities must investigate the “defamatory acts and incitement to violence” against a human rights defender who tweeted about Islam. Shahindha Ismail has become the focus of criticism, threats and even a police probe for saying that Allah allowed for other faiths after President Abdulla Yameen said he would only permit Islam to be practiced in […]
There can only be one religion in the Maldives, the Islamic Ministry has said, urging people to avoid implying otherwise. The remarks follow media criticism of human rights defender Shahindha Ismail who tweeted that Allah allowed for other faiths, challenging President Abdulla Yameen’s assertion that he would only permit Islam to be practiced in the […]
The criminal court on Wednesday ordered the return of large amounts of alcohol seized from a tourist liveaboard by the police in a raid last week. The verdict came after the owner of the liveaboard lodged a case in court claiming the alcohol was seized in violation of the criminal procedures act. In an operation […]
The Local Government Authority (LGA) has issued an exception that allows local councillors to meet foreign organisations involved in government partnerships, after initially banning all contact between foreign diplomats and councils. The LGA explained the exception in a letter sent to city, atoll and island councils on Wednesday. Citing the home ministry, the LGA said […]
A leading human rights defender has blasted a pro-government website for inciting hatred and trying to get her murdered, as police confirmed Thursday they were investigating one of her tweets about religion in the Maldives. Shahindha Ismail, from the Maldives Democracy Network, tweeted that Allah allowed for other religions after President Abdulla Yameen said the […]