Date for filing Chagos case at international court remains uncertain: Attorney General’s Office

The Attorney General’s Office has stated that a specific date remains uncertain for filing the international legal challenge to reclaim Chagos, the southern archipelago which President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu has repeatedly asserted belongs to the Maldivian people.

President Dr. Muizzu has asserted that there is "no doubt whatsoever" that the Chagos Islands belong to the Maldivian people. The President stated that the archipelago historically belonged to the citizens of the Maldives and that "it is an evident fact that the territory was once part of the Maldives."

In a written response to an inquiry from RaajjeTV on August 6, the Attorney General’s Office stated that international experts have been appointed to the Chagos issue and that consultations with them are currently underway.

However, a timeline for proceeding with the matter will only be determined following consultations with the relevant parties.

The Attorney General's Office further stated that following these consultations, the process of submitting the case to the international court will proceed.

As discussions regarding the matter are currently ongoing, a specific date for filing the case with the international court has not yet been determined.

While the Attorney General’s Office stated that a specific date for filing the case in court has not yet been determined, President Muizzu has previously asserted that there is historical evidence proving the archipelago's connection to the Maldivian people. As evidence, the President cited a 16th-century letter written by King Hassan IX, which includes a map of Chagos.

During an appearance on PSM’s "Nations Chat" program last week, President Muizzu asserted that if the Chagos Islands were to be handed over to a rightful claimant, the territory should belong to the Maldives. However, the President noted that the most favorable arrangement at present is for the Chagos archipelago to remain under the administration of the British government.

President Muizzu’s remarks follow his address at the opening session of the People's Majlis this year, where he asserted that he would not cede a single grain of sand from Maldivian soil nor surrender an inch of the nation's territory.

The Attorney General's Office has not disclosed which international court will receive the submission regarding the Maldives' claim to regain the Chagos Islands.

In 2019, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruled that the United Kingdom's decision to detach the Chagos Archipelago from Mauritius was unlawful and mandated that the UK relinquish control of the islands. Following this ruling, the UK has agreed to transfer sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius. However, under the terms of this agreement, the UK will lease Diego Garcia for a period of 99 years to ensure the continued operation of the joint UK-US military base located on the island.

The judicial bench of the UN’s International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) has strongly criticized the United Kingdom for its failure to hand over the Chagos Archipelago to Mauritius by the December 2019 deadline, as mandated by a significant majority vote in the UN General Assembly regarding the former colonial territory.

In 2019, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) issued a unanimous advisory opinion against the United Kingdom after the United Nations requested a legal ruling on the Chagos archipelago dispute. The Court ruled that the UK had violated international law and must take immediate steps to complete the decolonization process of Mauritius.