Opposition Jumhoree Party (JP) has accused the government of keeping deputy leader Abdulla Riyaz hostage for over a month and has demanded that he be released immediately.
In a press conference held on Monday on the 45th day of Riyaz’s imprisonment, Kendhoo MP and JP’s parliamentary group member Ali Hussain said Riyaz is a parliamentarian who was arrested during the state of emergency, during which time the privileges of MPs had not been revoked.
Therefore, Riyaz and other MPs could only have been arrested under a court order, meaning that Riyaz was kidnapped and being kept hostage, said Ali Hussain.
He noted that Riyaz was arrested at a peaceful protest, and that others arrested at the protest has since been released. He also said that Riyaz was remanded for an earlier investigation while there is no legal reason to do so.
He accused authorities of deliberate misconduct by summoning Riyaz for the remand hearing before the end of the state of emergency and before the deadline to assign a lawyer.
At the press conference, Ali Hussain, Mauvvari MP Mohamed Ameeth, JP’s deputy leader Dr Hussain Rasheed and secretary general Ahmed Sameer said that they will make the authorities accountable for the unfair treatment against detainees.
