News Desk
MALÉ, Maldives – Prominent Maldivian political figures, including the Mayor of Malé City and the opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) chairperson, have strongly condemned the decision to press criminal charges against two young individuals, Aishath Shimon and Abdulla Mahzoom, following recent protests in the capital. The condemnations highlight growing concerns over freedom of expression and the right to peaceful assembly in the island nation.
Mayor Adam Azim, in a statement posted on X, asserted that “Peaceful protest is a democratic right and a form of free speech.” He called on authorities to “drop all charges immediately and respect the voices of our young people,” using hashtags like #FreeSpeech and #YouthRights to underscore the perceived infringement on fundamental liberties.
Echoing the Mayor’s sentiments, Fayyaz Ismail, Chairperson of the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP), described the charges as “preposterous at best.” Mr. Ismail, also on X, stated it was “unfortunate to witness the recurrence of the politically motivated sham trials,” characterizing the government’s action as “a pathetic attempt… to muzzle the expression of discontent by the youth.”
Shimon and Mahzoom are reportedly being charged for organizing a “Gen Z” demonstration in Malé. This protest followed a high-profile case involving the fall of a young woman, Hawa Yumnu Rasheed, from a building in April. A presidential commission investigating the incident concluded that Yumnu Rasheed’s fall was likely accidental, influenced by intoxication. However, the commission’s report, detailed by eTruth, also cited significant deficiencies in the police investigation and raised concerns about inappropriate actions by senior government officials, including the now-sacked Presidential Undersecretary Daud Ahmed, Home Minister Ali Ihusan, and Transport Minister Mohamed Ameen, in handling the matter.
