Lawyers denied meeting with senior correctional officers
An employee at the reception desk at the service had told them to submit a meeting request form with senior officers
Lawyers at Maldives Correctional Service reception desk
lawyers who had gone to meet Maldives Correctional Service (MCS) officers to discuss the rights being denied to political detainees, have been denied a meeting.
The lawyers had previously submitted request forms for a meeting with senior correctional service officers three months ago.
However, when the correctional service failed to respond to their appeal, 20 lawyers had arrived at the service on Tuesday to express their concerns over various matters including the delay in the service's response to their initial request.
When lawyers had spoken to them about their concerns, an employee at the reception desk had told them to submit a request form for a meeting.
Speaking to journalists outside the building, Lawyer Hisaan Hussain said that they had submitted forms in February as well, and the service is yet to respond to them.
While the service has failed to respond, Hisaan asserted that their own staff do not know the policies on complaint submissions, adding that these policies are not even divulged.
"I believe they are very confused over the policies they are supposed to follow, or even how to follow them. Their policies are not even divulged. We have found out today that the employee sitting at that desk is just following orders coming to them on the spot" said Hisaan.
Hisaan expressed her team's concern over the rights being denied to their clients and the manner in which they are being treated in confinement, adding that the service is bringing limitations and hindrances to lawyer visits as well as delaying doctor consultations for ailing prisoners.
She highlighted that lawyer visits are being granted late at night, and delays in visits are not being informed to them or their clients beforehand.
Maldives Police Service continually claim that the rights of prisoners are not being restricted and that prisoners are being treated under the legal ambit.
Lawyers have appealed to find out these policies that come under the legal ambit that police are following to make sure prisoners are being treated accordingly.
However, the correctional service had failed to provide the team of lawyers with the information when asked to provide them with the dates and numbers under which these policies have been gazetted.
