Proposed law to criminalize economic harm and religious targeting could silence Ras Male' dissent

The government has submitted a bill to the People’s Majlis to amend the Penal Code, seeking to criminalize actions that harm the economy or target specific religious groups, while effectively prohibiting criticism of the Ras Male' project.

This government-sponsored bill was introduced by the Member of Parliament for the South Maafannu constituency, Abdulla Rifau. The primary objective of the bill is to align the Maldives' legal framework with the International Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide. It seeks to formally criminalize genocide and establish the corresponding legal penalties by introducing the necessary amendments to existing legislation.

Furthermore, the bill specifies its objectives as establishing acts of treason against the state and actions detrimental to the nation's economic security as criminal offenses. It also seeks to introduce necessary amendments to the law to increase the penalties for acts that contravene the principles of Islam.

The bill proposes the insertion of a new Chapter 150, titled "Genocide," following Chapter 140 of the Penal Code. Under this chapter, it is proposed that the following acts be criminalized when committed against a specific national, ethnical, racial, or religious group: killing members of the group; causing serious bodily or mental harm to members of the group; deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life calculated to bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part; imposing measures intended to prevent births within the group; and forcibly transferring children of the group to another group.

Furthermore, the bill specifies that such acts must have been committed with the intent to destroy a substantial part of that group.

Furthermore, a proposal has been submitted to introduce Chapter 630, titled "Offenses Against Economic Security." Under this chapter, it is defined as a criminal offense to knowingly or recklessly cause significant damage to the national economy. Specific offenses outlined include damaging critical infrastructure or its associated computer systems, disrupting essential services, or obstructing the operation of facilities and systems providing such services. Additionally, any action intended to halt operations in a primary revenue-generating sector of the state, resulting in substantial economic loss, would be classified as a crime.

Under these amendments, committing an act of genocide is classified as a first-degree felony, punishable by a prison sentence ranging from 10 to 25 years. Furthermore, individuals who publicly incite such acts will face second-degree felony charges, carrying a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison.

Furthermore, any act found to be detrimental to the economy will carry a prison sentence of one to four years. If such an offense is committed by an individual holding a high-ranking state or government position, they will face a prison term ranging from six to ten years.

Public concern is mounting over a new government-sponsored bill, with many citizens alleging it is a strategic move to silence critics of the Ras Male' project. These concerns follow the recent signing of a commercial terms agreement between the Maldivian government and UAE-based Eagle Hills to develop the "Maldives Waterfront and Marina" in Ras Male'.