Concern for the safety of Maldivian human rights defender
Shehenaz Abdulla, a senior Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) activist and the coordinator of a demonstration aimed at speeding up democratic reforms in the Maldives, was arrested on 6 November. Since her detention she has been on hunger strike, as she believes she is being held in detention unlawfully. Reports claim she is at risk of torture and ill treatment, a routine measure used against political dissidents in the Maldives.
The Maldivian Democratic Party had planned a week of demonstrations to express opposition to the incumbent President Maymoon Abdul Gayoom, who has been in power for 28 years. Their hopes of a peaceful resolution were quashed. More than 100 people were arrested in connection with the demonstration and according to reports many have been subjected to ill treatment and torture. The demonstration has been cancelled due to concerns for the safety of protesters.
Phillip Wellman, an American reporter working in the Maldives for the online newspaper Minivannews.com, was arrested together with Graham Quick, a freelance photographer working for the London-based Observer newspaper where they had gone to cover the arrests of MDP activists. They were held for several hours and questioned about the people they had met. The police officer interrogating them tried to erase their recordings and photos. The next day, after leaving the atoll, officials at Male airport told them that they had to leave the country and were put on flights to Colombo and London. Front Line is extremely concerned for the health and safety of Shehenaz Abdulla, and believes that she is being detained solely for her legitimate and peaceful work in defence of human rights, in particular the rights of freedom of expression, freedom of assembly and freedom of association.
Front Line urges the Maldivian authorities to ensure her immediate and unconditional release and take all measures to guarantee the physical and psychological integrity of Shehenaz Abdulla while in detention. Front Line calls on the authorities to take measures to ensure that all those working for human rights in the Maldives are permitted to carry out their legitimate work in human rights free of all restrictions and harassment.