27 organizations condemn use of sound weapons, arrests during October 3 rally
Police used excessive force including pepper spray and LRADs during a peaceful protest in Male City
Protesters clash with police officers during MDP's 'Lootuvaifi, Lootuvaifi!' rally held on 3 October 2025.
A coalition of 27 human rights organizations, led by the Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA), has issued a strong joint statement condemning the Maldives Police Service’s (MPS) use of disproportionate force and deployment of Long Range Acoustic Devices (LRADs) during a peaceful protest held in the capital, Malé City on 3 October 2025.
The statement denounced the police response as a grave violation of constitutionally protected rights to peaceful assembly and freedom of expression, as well as a breach of the Maldives’ international obligations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR).
The organizations detailed a series of preemptive and coercive actions taken by security forces even before the protest began. These included the deployment of armed vessels by the Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF), searches of boats transporting protestors, and various measures aimed at deterring public participation. On the ground, police established barricades, imposed a pre-designated protest route, and mobilized a significant number of riot police with the apparent intent of obstructing the gathering from its outset.
According to the statement, once the protest commenced, police used excessive force, indiscriminately deploying pepper spray against demonstrators and journalists. It further noted that one protester suffered a cardiac emergency following the close-range use of pepper spray and required hospitalization. While Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital (IGMH) claimed there is no definitive scientific link between pepper spray and heart attacks, the statement underscored that such substances can exacerbate stress and pre-existing medical conditions, particularly in high-tension environments.
The statement also sharply criticized the use of LRADs, describing them as military-grade weapons unsuitable for civilian contexts. It warned that using LRADs in a densely populated area like Malé City, demonstrates gross negligence toward public health and safety. In addition to harming protestors, the devices pose significant risks to vulnerable populations, including children and the elderly, due to their capacity to cause hearing loss and neurological damage.
Citing a recent European Court of Human Rights ruling, the statement emphasized growing international concern over the health risks posed by sound-based crowd control weapons. It further warned that the use of such equipment in the Maldives reflects an alarming trend of militarized policing, a development known to escalate violence and lead to increased human rights violations.
The joint statement also raised serious concerns over the police institution’s long-standing history of using excessive force against protestors. It highlighted the erosion of public trust and criticized the lack of transparency regarding the acquisition and operational use of LRADs. The absence of a publicly accessible Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for their use was identified as a major accountability gap.
The coalition also condemned the arrest and continued detention of at least eight individuals who participated in the protest, stating that their imprisonment stands in direct violation of both domestic and international human rights standards.
The 27 organizations called on the government of President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu to take the following immediate actions:
- Cease the use of LRADs and all military-grade equipment in protest and crowd control operations
- Initiate an independent investigation into the acquisition, authorization, and use of LRADs by police
- Hold accountable any police officers responsible for excessive force or unlawful dispersal of protestors
- Immediately and unconditionally release all individuals detained for exercising their rights to peaceful assembly and free expression
- Amend the 2013 Peaceful Assembly Act to bring it in full alignment with Article 21 of the ICCPR and the UN Human Rights Committee’s General Comment No. 37 on the right to peaceful assembly
The statement welcomed news that the Human Rights Commission of the Maldives (HRCM) has launched an inquiry into the police's conduct during the October 3 protest. It urged the commission to conduct a thorough, transparent, and politically independent investigation and to publish its findings without delay.
Concluding the statement, the organizations called on the Maldivian government to reaffirm its commitment to the rule of law, safeguard constitutionally protected civil liberties, and reject militarized practices that endanger public health, suppress dissent, and undermine democratic governance.
