MALDIVES: A political activist in solitary confinement after being arbitrarily arrested

Dear friends,

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that political activist Mohamed Yoosuf was illegally arrested by the police in Maldives on 13 August 2004. Mr. Mohamed Yoosuf was put in solitary confinement at the Dhoonidhoo Detention Facility after seven days of his arrest and he has now been there for 53 days.  His family reported that he has been frequently tortured while in detention, and ill treated. The victim cannot access his family or lawyer, and nor can be access any physical and mental health facilities.

Your urgent action is required to urge the government of Maldives to order the immediate release of Mr. Mohamed Yoosuf.

Urgent Appeals Desk
Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC)
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DETAILED INFORMATION:

Name of the victim: Mr. Mohamed Yoosuf (popularly known as Fulhu), 55 years old
Date of the arrest: 13 August 2004
Case status: The victim has been in solitary confinement at the Dhoonidhoo Detention Facility for 53 days after seven days of his arrest

Case details:

Maldives has been ruled by President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom as a one-party state since 1978. Despite fundamental rights being guaranteed in the national constitution, the government has so far resisted popular aspirations for genuine expression of these rights. After large demonstrations calling for democratic reform and a change of government that lasted several days, the government imposed a state of emergency on 13 August 2004, and mass arrests by the security forces followed.

Mr. Mohamed Yoosuf was a signatory amongst many other people to a petition to establish a political party in Maldives, which was later rejected.  On 9 August 2004, Mr. Yusoof became aware that he and others might be arrested for supporting the idea of forming a political party.  In seeking to protect himself before his possible arrest, Mr. Mohamed Yoosuf left for Sri Lanka on August 9 and, according to what he told his family, he visited the American and British Embassies in Colombo and registered himself as a person who was involved in politics in the Maldives, so that the Embassies would recognize his arrest in case it happens. Mr. Mohamed Yoosuf also tried to contact Amnesty International to register himself as a member. He then returned to the Maldives on August 11.

At about 4:00pm on August 12, Mr. Mohamed Yoosuf was arrested by the police while he was with several friends in a caf? When about 15 of Mr. Mohamed Yoosuf’s friends visited the police station, the police told them that he would be released soon. At around 5:15pm of the same day, the victim’s two family members went to meet the investigating officer at the police station. After waiting for two hours, they met the investigating officer, who also promised them that Yoosuf would be released soon. But he did not give the family members the reason for the victim’s arrest. Accordingly, Mr. Mohamed Yusoof was released at 11:30pm on that day.

However, Mr. Mohamed Yoosuf was arrested again on the following evening (August 13) at about 10:45pm by the police at his residence. Although he did not resist his arrest, the police allegedly pushed and handcuffed the victim in the process of his arrest. The family has not been allowed any access to Mr. Mohamed Yoosuf after his arrest. They wrote several letters to the government authorities requesting information about his current condition in the detention centre including his health, but no reply has yet been received.

On September 11, Mr. Mohamed Yoosuf’s family received the news that the victim was in a hospital to take an X-ray, and they rushed to the hospital to see him. The family found that Mr. Mohamed Yoosuf looked sick and very tired.  He informed his family that he was frequently tortured for the entire month while being handcuffed and blindfolded. He further told them that as a result of torture, he got injured on his back.

On September 16, the victim’s family was allowed to meet Mr. Mohamed Yoosuf at the Dhoonidhoo Detention Facility for half an hour. Mr. Mohamed Yoosuf told them that after he was taken to the detention centre, he was handcuffed for about a week, and also blindfolded for two days.  Mr. Mohamed Yoosuf said that he was hit on his back severely, and remained handcuffed and blindfolded while eating, praying and using the toilet. He also mentioned that prison officials step on the prisoners (including himself) if they fall asleep to prevent them from sleeping. During the meeting, the police were present and tape-recorded their conversation.

Mr. Mohamed Yoosuf was brought for further medical attention on October 7.  The family’s request for independent medical assessment on the victim has been denied by the authorities. Mr. Mohamed Yoosuf has been in solitary confinement at the Dhoonidhoo Detention Facility for 53 days after seven days of his arrest. Access to reading and writing material has also been denied. Mr. Mohamed Yoosuf’s family is gravely concerned about his mental and physical health under such inhuman circumstances. They even requested the government authorities to allow the victim to be held under house arrest rather than solitary confinement, which has been allowed to some other detainees.

The AHRC has earlier issued a statement on the situation of political repression in the Maldives in recent months, (AS-28-2004: Government of Maldives must end intolerable rights abuses on 27 August 2004). Many persons have been arrested, detained and tortured illegally for a long time purely for political reasons of involvement in forming independent political parties, (refer to: AHRC Urgent Appeal: FA-20-2004: Incommunicado detention and fear of torture on civilians in Maldives).

The state of emergency was lifted on Sunday, 10 October 2004. However, there are many persons like Mr. Mohamed Yoosuf who continue to be detained without proper access to courts and the judicial process. They are also held in conditions which are contrary to the basic minimum standards. The AHRC urges the immediate release of Mr. Mohamed Yoosuf and should be allowed to access judicial remedies and physical and mental health facilities.

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