United States Ambassador Atul Keshap’s latest set of concerns about Maldives’ ongoing constitutional crisis, are over the growing number of arrests.
Keshap said on Saturday that ‘arrests are happening so fast’ and that ‘it is hard to keep track’.
Arrests are happening so fast during the #Maldives #StateOfEmergency that it is hard to keep track. How many duly elected Members of Parliament and constitutionally designated officers of the government are now in jail?
— Atul Keshap (@USAmbKeshap) March 3, 2018
The ambassador is heavily vocal about the situation in the Maldives, and his was one of the first missions to urge the government to enforce the Supreme Court’s unanimous ruling February 1st.
Just last week, Keshap expressed concern about the extension of the state of emergency, the treatment of protesters at the hands of the police, and the restrictions on elected representatives.
On-going State of Emergency, curfews, riot police, former Presidents in jail or exile, Supreme Court justices in jail, elected Members of Parliament blocked from the Peoples’ Majlis, protestors pepper sprayed, online troll armies out in force. I mourn #Democracy in #Maldives
— Atul Keshap (@USAmbKeshap) February 25, 2018
A number of parliamentarians, who lead and are active in nightly demonstrations held in Maldives’ capital city, have been apprehended.
At Friday’s mass rally, held along Malé’s central road, MPs Abdulla Shaid, Abdulla Riyaz, and Abdul Latheef Mohamed had been arrested as well.
The state of emergency gives police authority to detain individuals without a reason, especially given that the President’s Office has suppressed a constitutional right that cannot be curtailed even under a state of emergency.
The President’s Office amended its declaration on February 6th, to restrict rights on arrest and detention, guaranteed under Article 48 of the constitution.
