News Desk
MALÉ, Maldives — The civil court dismissed a legal challenge by former President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom against a decree that banned protests targeting Indian military presence in the island nation, cementing restrictions on what had become a contentious political movement.
The court threw out the case on Tuesday after Mr. Yameen’s legal representative failed to appear at the scheduled hearing, effectively keeping in place the presidential decree issued by his successor, Ibrahim Mohammed Solih.
“With this dismissal, the prohibition on ‘India Out’ sloganeering remains firmly in effect,” said Abdulla Naseer, a partner at Legal Aid, referring to the anti-Indian military presence campaign that had gained traction under Mr. Yameen’s leadership.
Mr. Yameen’s petition, filed on September 20, argued that the decree violated constitutional guarantees of free expression and assembly under Articles 6, 27, and 32. The challenge also questioned presidential authority to issue such restrictions under Article 115 of the Constitution.
Court documents show that while the summons was delivered to Mr. Yameen’s lawyer on October 27, no explanation was provided for the absence at the October 29 hearing. Under Civil Court procedures, cases can be dismissed when plaintiffs fail to appear without reasonable cause after receiving a summons.
The ruling comes amid ongoing tensions over India’s military presence in the strategically located Indian Ocean nation, which has increasingly become a focal point of regional power dynamics.
