Maldives former president being tortured behind bars, says legal team

Jailed former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom’s legal team has described his treatment in jail as ‘torture’.

Maldives’ former long-standing leader, jailed over obstruction, has been diagnosed with benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV); a disorder usually triggered by specific changes in the position of your head.

Speaking to RaajjeTV on Friday night, senior attorney from his legal team, Hussain Shameem said that authorities are acting against doctor’s instructions, despite his medical condition.

His comments are in reference to Maldives Correctional Service (MCS) decision to transfer Gayoom from Maafushi Prison to Dhoonidhoo Detention Center, and back to Maafushi in less than 48 hours.

Noting that MCS’ actions are a form of torture, Shameem said that it is being done to further taunt his family.

While reports of the former president’s health deteriorating first surfaced on Tuesday, the lawyer emphasized that he should be taken to a health center.

Shameem, a former deputy prosecutor general, also noted that his legal team and family were not informed of his whereabouts for 24 hours.

Furthermore, noting that the matter has been submitted to the Human Rights Commission of Maldives (HRCM) numerous times, Shameem said that the complaints submitted seemed to be vanishing into thin air.

“[HRCM officials] keep telling us that they are investigating the matter. However, we cannot trust them anymore,” he said.

Gayoom was arrested after the controversial Supreme Court ruling in February.

While he was arrested after declaring a nation-wide state of emergency, he was sentenced to 19 months in prison for obstruction of justice for allegedly refusing to handover his mobile phone to the police.