175 held in Maldives as Kerry warns of danger to democracy
Print Edition
Maldives authorities have detained 175 supporters of jailed former President Mohamed Nasheed for two weeks, according to a court document, while the United States has warned that democracy is in danger on the honeymoon islands.
Police fired tear gas and baton-charged protesters demanding Nasheed’s release at a demonstration in the capital island of Male on Friday, arresting 193 people.
The opposition described it as the biggest anti-government protest since Nasheed was imprisoned for 13 years in March on a terrorism charge for ordering the arrest of an allegedly corrupt judge in 2012.
Yesterday, a list at the Maldives’ criminal court showed 18 demonstrators had been released and 175 would be held in custody for two weeks.
Nasheed’s Maldivian Democratic Party said its Chairman Ali Waheed was among those held, along with leaders of two other opposition parties.
“Our chairman has been accused of encouraging violence, vandalism and attacks on security personnel,” said spokeswoman Shauna Aminath.
Nasheed, the Maldives’ first democratically elected leader, was toppled in February 2012 after a mutiny by police and troops. It followed weeks of protests over his order to arrest the judge.
US Secretary of State John Kerry, on a visit to neighboring Sri Lanka, said there were “troubling signs that democracy is under threat in the Maldives.”
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