The magistrate court in Vilingilli of Gaafu Alif atoll has ruled to keep the eighteen opposition activists arrested from Kolamaafushi island in state custody.

At a hearing on Friday, the presiding judge decided to extend the remand of nearly all the arrestees by an additional 15 days. One of the activists had their remand sentence extended by 12 days.

The hearing was conducted behind closed doors and neither civilian spectators nor the press was allowed in. The hearing went on from 4:30 PM to 11:00 PM.

A lawyer representing one of the activists said that the remand sentence of his client was extended without evaluating the processes of the arrest and lawyer’s concerns.

The activists were arrested on 30th August on allegations of creating chaos in the island and destroying property.

While the 18 individuals were arrested for vandalism, they are being tried under terrorism laws in a pre-trial hearing carried out in secret.

The magistrate court said in a statement following the a 15-day remand sentence to keep them in custody, that due to the violent nature of the accusation against them, they pose a threat to the community and capacity to influence the trial.

These individuals are all members of the Maldivian Democratic Party who were drawing up banners and hanging flags ahead of presidential candidate Ibrahim Mohamed Solih’s campaign visit to the island.

RaajjeMV understands that supporters of the ruling party had obstructed their efforts and begun tearing down the flags that were hung up and when the quarrel escalated, they told the opposition supporters that they would be ‘expelled from the island’.

The Maldivian Democratic Party and its coalition of partners have reiterated their accusation that the ruling party is abusing power and deliberately targeting their members and supporters to silence dissent.