SC should have ruled to impeach president, restore freedom of assembly: MP Ali Hussain

The Supreme Court’s ruling earlier this month should have included President Abdulla Yameen’s impeachment and the restoration of freedom of assembly, MP Ali Hussain has said.

MP Hussain said speaking at Friday night’s rally that while the court ruled to release a number of unfairly detained prisoners, President Abdulla Yameen should have been held responsible for it.

The parliamentarian said that the court should have ruled to oust Yameen on the grounds that he had abused his power to have his political rivals incarcerated.

He further said that the Supreme Court should have also ruled to restore freedom of assembly to its before, as it had been before 2016.

Ali Hussain, a lawyer himself, said that restriction of the right is an affront to basic human integrity.

In August of 2016, pro-government parliamentarians filed an amendment to the Freedom of Peaceful Assembly Act, following similar nightly protests organized by the Maldives United Opposition.

As per the amendment, any organization or individual holding a rally, protest, march, or demonstration must seek permission from the police and can only do so in areas that designated by the government.