Maldives Opposition leader in Army custody

by Mariyam Suhana in Male

(July 16, Male, Sri Lanka Guardian) In the ongoing political battle between President Mohamed Nasheed and the Majlis, the leader of one of the opposition parties, People's Alliance, Abdulla Yamin was taken into army custody at 1 am yesterday (July 15).

The Maldives armed forces said in a statement released soon after, that Yamin was taken for protective custody after violence broke out near his home between his supporters and MDP activists.

According to hospital sources, a number of people injured in the clashes were taken to hospital including several policemen.

The detained parliamentarian's lawyers this morning filed a case in the criminal court demanding his immediate release. "He was taken against his will," said Azima Shakoor, head of his defence team, "and clearly that's against the law."

Earlier last night, speaking at an MDP public rally attended by President Nasheed, the outspoken leader of MDP parliamentary group, Reeko Moosa, said that if Yamin, Gasim and Nazim were not re-arrested before midnight last night, MDP would establish what he termed as "a people's court" to try those who are accused of corruption.

One foreign diplomat based here commented that it would be yet another departure from democratic practice that the Nasheed regime is planning.

"People are now living in fear," said one prominent lawyer, "they don't know what's going to happen to them. They might be dragged to the police for no reason at all, or their homes may be attacked by pro-government mobs. There's no rule of law any more."

The opposition alliance said that last night's mob attacks on prominent opposition leaders' homes as well as that of speaker of the Majlis, Abdula Shahid, was orchestrated by the MDP leadership.

Hundreds of MDP activists were brought to Male from the outer atolls on government boats, fed and accommodated by the government and then unleashed last night to do the dirty work, said one of the deputy leaders of the main opposition party, DRP.

The mobs roamed about Male till the small hours of this morning, throwing stones at the homes of opposition leaders, judges and the speaker of the Majlis. Several nearby houses also suffered various damages.

Ordinary citizens of Male are furious. Many of them speaking in talk show programmes today said that the president and Reeko Moosa were responsible for these attacks. The government has gone crazy, said one shopkeeper. Whoever heard of a government unleashing unruly mobs to attack ordinary people's homes, he said.