RSF backs crowdfunding campaign by slain writer's friends, says Maldives suffers from the curse of impunity

Reporters without Borders (RSF) has reaffirmed its support to murdered Maldivian blogger Yameen Rasheed’s family and friends, and called on authorities to “end the impunity that media freedom’s enemies enjoy in Maldives”.

RSF, on Friday, revealed its decision to join the crowdfunding campaign launched by Yameen’s friends and colleagues, with Benjamin Ismail, head of RSF’s Asia-Pacific desk reaffirming its support for Yameen Rasheed.

“Maldives continues to suffer from the curse of impunity as evidenced by Ahmed Rilwan’s disappearance, and we must not rely on the Maldivian police”, said Ismail.

He called on “all free speech defenders” to join in the solidarity gesture and to contribute to the quest for justice for the slain writer.

“His brutal murder must not be in vain. This crowdfunding project is the best way to honour the memory of a courageous blogger and advocate of freedoms and tolerance”, he added.

RSF’s statement noted that the fund raiser was launched by Yameen’s family and colleagues “with the aim of launching an impartial investigation”, as the Maldivian authorities are yet to begin “conducting any credible enquiries into Rasheed’s death”.

The statement further noted that Yameen’s family’s appeal to authorities to allocate significant resources to the investigation had been unsuccessful, and that RSF’s fund-raising “aims to support their request”.

One of the most prominent bloggers in the country, and a pro-democracy activist, Yameen Rasheed, 29, was stabbed to death in the early hours on April 23.

Police had, on April 25, revealed that they had identified those responsible for Yameen Rasheed’s murder, even releasing screen captures of the suspects, taken from CCTV footage inside and outside Spatula. However, on April 30, contradicting their previous claim, police said that the attackers “had been wearing disguises”.

Hussain Rasheed, Yameen’s father has met with government officials, as well as international bodies, in his quest to seek justice for his son. The family has filed a case against the MPS at Civil Court, seeking to prove police negligence in Yameen’s death ‘by failing to provide him protection’.

Prior to his brutal murder, Yameen Rasheed had reported the various death threats he had received to the police, who had failed to protect his life. Amnesty International has called on the government to investigate the police’s failure to save the writer’s life.

The Justice for Yameen page notes that “given the history of the police’s actions in similar investigations and their negligence in relation to the many death threats against Yameen which he reported, we feel we must continue to call upon the authorities to ensure an independent investigation into his murder.”

Reporters Without Borders further noted that the Maldivian government’s “passivity in this case recalls its response to the August 2014 disappearance of Ahmed Rilwan”, adding that authorities had “confirmed that he was kidnapped but failed to arrest the perpetrators”.