On
Maldives State
of Emergency,
US Says
Terminate It,
ICP Asked UN
By
Matthew
Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS,
November 4 --
With a state
of emergency
declared in
the Maldives,
Inner City
Press on
November 4
asked UN
Secretary
General Ban
Ki-moon's
spokesman
Stephane
Dujarric if
the UN had any
comment --
really, if the
UN is doing
anything at
all. Dujarric
responded to
Inner City
Press with an
if-asked
statement, below.
Later
on November 4,
the US State
Department
issued this
clearer statement:
"The
United States
is deeply
concerned with
recent events
in Maldives,
including
today’s
announcement
of a state of
emergency that
curtails vital
civil
liberties and
human rights
and
fundamental
freedoms,
including the
freedom of
peaceful
assembly, the
freedom of
movement, and
safeguards
against
arbitrary
detention and
arbitrary and
unlawful
interference
with one’s
privacy.
The United
States calls
on the
Government of
Maldives to
restore
immediately
full
constitutional
freedoms to
its citizens
by terminating
the state of
emergency, and
reiterates its
call for an
end to
politically
motivated
prosecutions
and
detentions,
including that
of former
President
Nasheed.
The United
States also
calls on the
government to
respect and
protect
freedom of
expression and
the important
role of civil
society, both
of which are
essential to
any robust
democracy."
Here's
was the UN's,
which may now
post-US be supplemented:
“The
Secretary-General
is concerned
about the
recent
political and
security
developments
in Maldives.
States have
legitimate
national
security
concerns, but
the
Secretary-General
emphasizes
that states of
emergency
should be used
only when
strictly
necessary, in
proportion to
the stated
threat and in
accordance
with the human
rights
obligations.
In this
regard, he
hopes that all
civil and
political
rights of the
Maldivian
people will be
restored as
soon as
possible.”
Back
on March 27,
2015 Inner
City Press
went to the US
State
Department's
daily briefing
and asked
spokesman Jeff
Rathke about
the conviction
of the
country's
former defense
minister
Nazim, and
threats to
deport migrant
workers if
they protest,
amid attacks
on free press.
From the State
Department's
transcript:
Inner
City Press: I
wanted to ask
you about in
Maldives the
former defense
minister has
just been
sentenced to
11 years. And
I know the
State
Department has
expressed some
concern about
former
President
Nasheed’s
trial. There’s
also a
situation in
which migrant
workers there
are being told
if they
demonstrate
about their
rights they’ll
be deported.
So I’m
wondering, is
the State
Department
monitoring
this? Do you
have any
comment on
developments
in the
Maldives?
MR. RATHKE:
Certainly, we
are. I don’t
have a comment
in front of
me. We’re
happy to look
into that and
come back to
you.
While this is
often said at
the UN - and
this week in
Washington at
the IMF on
Inner City
Press'
question about
Haiti -- in
this case the
US State
Department DID
come back with
a comment, issued as a
“Question
Taken”
later on March
27:
For
Immediate
Release
TAKEN QUESTION
March 27, 2015
Concerns
on Recent
Developments
in Maldives
Question:
Does the
United States
have any
comment on the
arrest of the
former
Maldivian
Defense
Minister?
Answer:
The United
States is
deeply
troubled by
recent
developments
in Maldives
that call into
question that
nation’s
commitment to
democracy and
individual
human
rights.
These
developments
include the
conviction of
former Defense
Minister
Mohamed Nazim,
who was
sentenced to
11 years in
prison on
weapons
charges March
26, and the
March 25
arrest of
Maldivian
journalists
under
allegations of
obstructing
police duties.
Nazim’s
trial was
particularly
concerning, as
it was marred
by the same
apparent lack
of appropriate
criminal
procedures as
the recent
trial of
former
President
Mohamed
Nasheed,
including the
inability to
call the
requested
number of
defense
witnesses and
concerns
regarding the
lack of
impartiality
and
independence
of the judges.
Freedom
of the press
is a
fundamental
democratic
right, and we
are in touch
with Maldivian
authorities to
clarify why
the
journalists
have been
detained
without
charges.
We
call on the
Government of
Maldives to
take steps to
restore
confidence in
its
hard-fought
democracy and
the rule of
law, including
judicial
independence
and freedom of
the press.
We'll have
more on this
-- including,
from the new
Free UN
Coalition for
Access, on the
situation of
the press in
the Malvides.
Watch this
site.
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