Parliamentarians for Global Action (PGA) has decided to confer a “Defender of Democracy Award” to Member of Parliament for South-Galolhu constituency Ahmed Mahloof, whose prison sentence of 10 months and 24 days in prison recently ended and is currently under house arrest.

Secretary General David Donat Cattin had written to the parliamentarian on behalf of PGA, the largest non-governmental, cross-party, international network of more than 1,300 legislators in 144 countries, to inform him of the good news. The letter addressed to Mahloof reads that the PGA Executive Committee has awarded him the PGA Defender of Democracy Award 2018, adding that the award “honors individuals who have demonstrated exceptional commitment and contribution to promoting human rights and democracy.”

The letter highlighted some of the past recipients of the award, including Judge Navanethem Pillay who served as the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights from 2008 to 2014, Irish politician Mary Robinson who served as the 07^th President of Ireland, Indian children’s rights activist who is also a Nobel Peace Prize Recipient, Kailash Satyarthi as well as Italian politician who is currently a Senator for Rome, Emma Bonino.

Secretary General David also wrote that the awarding ceremony will be held in conjunction with PGA’s 40^th Annual Forum and Consultative Assembly of Parliamentarians for the International Criminal Court on the 16^th of November this year in Kiev, Ukraine, adding that the Defender of Democracy Award ceremony will offer the parliamentarian with a platform to address more than 120 parliamentarians from over 50 countries.

David, noting that the PGA does not generally give the award to one of it’s members, stated that the board had awarded Mahloof with the award on an exceptional basis given his “ongoing struggle to uphold multi-party democratic values” in the Maldives. David goes on to express the PGA’s gratitude and support for MP Mahloof’s commitment to PGA’s vision, “namely the creation of a rules-based international order for a more equitable, safe and democratic world.”

Following this, MP Mahloof, who has been serving as the South-Galolhu representative in Parliament since 2009 and is a prominent, leading figure in the political sphere who began his political career at a young age, had taken to twitter to express his gratitude.

“Honored and extremely humbled to find myself in the esteemed company of the recipients of PGA’s Defender of Democracy Award” reads Mahloof’s tweet.

Mahloof further goes on to dedicate the award to his family and the “true defenders” of democracy, referring to the people of Maldives.