Team of 19 lawyers representing Kolamaafushi arrestees to depart to Villigili on Thursday

A team of 19 lawyers have been scheduled to depart to Villigili island in Gaaf Alif atoll in the case of the mass arrest of main opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) supporters in Kolamaafushi following a dispute with supporters of ruling Progressive Party of the Maldives.

In late August, Opposition supporters had begun preparing the island for Joint Opposition Coalition’s Presidential candidate Ibrahim Mohamed Solih’s arrival in the island as part of his campaign tour across Huvadhu atoll. They had begun draping banners and putting up flags when they were disrupted by supporters of PPM which led to a quarrel between both parties.

Terrorism charged were raised on the arrestees and they were remanded for 15 days, which ends on Thursday. It was understood that they were remanded at a closed-door court hearing without being given legal representation. The 18 will be brought before the judge at the Villigili island’s Magistrate court for their remand hearing after their initial remand expires.

While the team of 18 lawyers, a lawyer for each arrestee had been assembled, an additional lawyer had joined the team later on.

The team of lawyers will depart to Gaaf Alif Villigili island on Thursday afternoon.

The team in comprised of

1. Mahfooz Saeed,
2. Ahmed Nazim Abdul Sattar,
3. Ali Abdul Latheef,
4. Hussain Shameem,
5. Sayyah Khaleel,
6. Adam Zalif,
7. Moosa Siraj,
8. Ibrahim Shiyam,
9. Masthoor Husni,
10. Thoha Mohamed,
11. Aishath Sheena Mohamed,
12. Husnu Al Suood,
13. Abdul Salaam Arif,
14. Afsal Abdulla Zuhair,
15. Safa Shareef,
16. Mohamed Faisal,
17. Ahmed Thalib,
18. Nadheem Ibrahim
19. Hassan Waheed.

Those arrested include Abdulla Rasheed, Ahmed Saleem, Niyaz Hussain, Hussain Farhath, Ahmed Waheed, Mahooth Ismail, Abbas Abdulla, Ahmed Rauf, Hassan Najeeb, Muslim Najeeb, Ziyad Rasheed, Mohamed Rasheed, Razeen Rasheed, Ahmed Shuzan, Shahudh Mohamed, Ismail Shareef, Riffath Ibrahim and Amjad Ibrahim.