Police yet to inform opposition lawmaker of reason for arrest

Detained lawmaker, Abdulla Riyaz is yet to be informed of reason for his arrest, says prominent lawyer Hisaan Hussain.

In a tweet sent out on Monday, Hisaan said that she met with Riyaz on Monday, and that “despite being under arrest since Friday evening, Maldives Police Service is yet to inform of his charges of reasons for his arrest [sic]”.

“He is also denied of his rights under the Parliamentary Privileges Act,” added the human rights lawyer.

In a message sent through his lawyers, the MP for Kinbidhoo constituency highlighted that “there are certain things the police must amend, in making arrests,” adding that they will ensure that “things are better” in a coalition government. He further noted that he remains steadfast in the opposition’s reform work.

The parliamentarian and former Commissioner of Police was arrested from an opposition rally on Friday, along with North-Henveiru constituency MP and former Speaker of Parliament, Abdulla Shahid. While Shahid was released less than 24 hours later, police had said that Riyaz was arrested under the state of emergency.

President Abdulla Yameen declared a 15-day state of emergency on 5th February, after refusing to implement a ruling by the Supreme Court. The ruling issued on 1st February ordered the release of nine high-profile political prisoners and reinstated 12 parliamentarians. The parliament extended the state of emergency by an additional 30 days on 20th November, in a vote taken without the constitutionally required quorum of 43 members.

Lawyer Hisaan on Sunday said that their records show that “36 people [34 men and two women] are currently being arbitrarily detained under the state of emergency by the police,” and that “those detained are being denied many of their fundamental rights”.