In his scathing remarks, UN Human Rights chief Zeid Ra’ad al- Hussein said the restrictions “create a dangerous concentration of power in the hands of the president.”
As the Maldives crisis enters the third day, United Nations Human Rights chief condemned the Maldives President Abdulla Yameen in his statement. He called the state of emergency declared in the country an “all-out assault on democracy”.
The President of Maldives declared a state of emergency for 15 days. The president had been in a tussle with the Supreme Court of the country for past few days. The allies of President Abdulla Yameen believe that the Supreme Court is conspiring to bring down the government.
#Maldives: The declaration of the State of Emergency is an all-out assault on democracy. It creates a dangerous concentration of power in hands of President. This situation could result in a greater number of human rights violations https://t.co/vRvWDdoHHk pic.twitter.com/s6wnqZQzH7
— UN Human Rights (@UNHumanRights) February 7, 2018
The court had earlier ordered Yameen to release nine opposition leaders who were jailed by his government. However, Yameen refused to comply. Hours after the announcement, Maldives Chief Justice Abdulla Saeed and another Supreme Court judge were arrested. The high profile arrests of the judges and CJI followed came after the arrest of ex-president Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, the separated half-brother of Yameen.
According to the Maldives Law, the constitutional rights of those arrested during an emergency will be suspended. Sharply criticizing the act, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra’ad al- Hussein said the restrictions “create a dangerous concentration of power in the hands of the president.”
Zeid said in a statement, “Yameen has, to put it bluntly, usurped the authority of the state’s rule-of-law institutions and its ability to work independently from the executive. What is happening now, is tantamount to an all-out assault on democracy.”
On behalf of Maldivian people we humbly request:
1. India to send envoy, backed by its military, to release judges & pol. detainees inc. Prez. Gayoom. We request a physical presence.
2. The US to stop all financial transactions of Maldives regime leaders going through US banks.— Mohamed Nasheed (@MohamedNasheed) February 6, 2018
The former President of Maldives Mohamed Nasheed tweeted seeking India’s intervention in the matter. India. In its statement said that it is deeply “disturbed” by the declaration of emergency in the state. India, in the official statement also called the arrest of Supreme Court judges and prominent political figure a matter of concern. “The statement also warned that the “Government continues to carefully monitor the situation”.
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