Criminal Court orders protest leaders arrested yesterday to be released

The Criminal Court of the Maldives has ordered the Maldives Police Services to release a number of individuals arrested yesterday afternoon, for staging protests at Republican Square immediately after the Friday Prayers.

The police produced 7 detainees at the Criminal Court requesting extension of their detainment. However, the sitting Judge of the stated in the end that the Police had failed to prove that the detainees were arrested in accordance with the law, and thus, refused extension of detention.

The Judge said that the detainees were not arrested upon being found committing a crime, or in pursuit of a legal warrant, and that therefore the Police had no legal authority to arrest them.

Those who were produced at Court today included Sheikh Imran Abdullah, President of Opposition Adhaalath Party, Dr. Mauroof Hussain, Deputy President of Adhaalath Party, Ahmed Mahloof, MP and senior leader of opposition PPM, Fuad Qasim, the Secretary General of opposition Jumhoory Party, Abdullah Muhammad, Deputy President of the Union of Civil NGOs, Ahmed Saleem, Council Member of opposition PPM, and Ahmed Shareef, senior activist of opposition DRP. In addition, Ibrahim Nazim, Council Member of PPM, who was accused of causing damage to the property of Hassan Latheef, the Minister of Youth and Sports, was also ordered to be released by the Criminal Court. The Court said that the Police had not proved that there were sufficient grounds for arresting him either.

The detainees were all accused of encouraging protesters to break the ranks of the police via their speeches and causing damage to the property of the State as damage were caused to the office building of the Maldives Monetary Authority (MMA) during the protests on the night of Tuesday.

Abdullah Navaaz, Superintendent of Police, said during the session at Court today that the detainees staged protests at the Republican Square yesterday afternoon after the Friday Prayers, and obstructed the police from fulfilling their legal duties.

Mohamed Riyaaz, Superintendent of Police, said during the session that those who conducted protests yesterday afternoon did so in breach of Article 32 of the Constitution and regulations made under the Article. In response, the Judge asked the Police about whether the Constitution or a regulation made before the Constitution would have valid force, and the Police responded by affirming that the Constitution would be held up in that case.

Lawyers representing the detainees argued that the Police had arrested some 26 people during the protests yesterday afternoon, and that the police trying to extend detention periods for 7 of them after releasing the others sometime before, raised serious questions about the intentions of the Police. When the Judge asked about the matter, the Police replied by saying that only the leaders of the protests were being produced at court for extending their detention periods.