:: Dhivehi Observer :: Peoples Press ::

Ali Naz denied access to a lawyer and is declared "insane" by Gayyoom’s Police

Mariyam Mohamed, Male’ 01^st August 2004

Ali Naz has been denied access to a lawyer by the National Security Service and is still in detention. According the law, he has the right to a lawyer. His lawyer has been told by NSS that they will contact him later.

Mr. Ali Naz has been kept in detention at the National Security Services Headquarters in Male' at the time of publishing

The matter has now been taken to the Human Rights Commission of the Maldives in the hope that they can get the NSS to allow the rule of law to take its course.

Reports are coming in that Ali Naz Saleem who was arrested for approaching Gayyoom after Friday prayers last week will be transferred to Guraidhoo Mental Institute. His fate is being decided by the National Security Services as per usual. He is being treated as a threat to national security, said the informant. Furthermore, this tactic is bound to meet resistance, that if you oppose Gayyoom you are labelled as being ‘insane’. It certainly appears as Gayyoom is certainly running out of ideas. Mr. Ibrahim Saleem (Fori), the father of this 26 years old man is very concerned about the welfare of his son and is trying hard to find an alternative solution. He told DO on Friday that his was certain that his son is not insane as alleged. He also said that such a medical decision cannot be taken by police officers. He agrees that his son is an outspoken critic of this government and holds Gayyoom responsible for loosing out on his education.

Guraidhoo Mental Institute is not adequately setup to treat the patients but it is rather a jail for those ill-fated individuals. Several cases of suicide and suspicious deaths have been reported in the past, including a recent case of a patient being found drowned. According to Mrs. Aneesa, the Minister in charge of the institute, she will not put Ali Naz in the institute unless proper medical procedures are followed. She said that she cannot put someone in the institute for an order by the Police, that she has a job to do. She is married to the State Minister for Defence but despite that she appears to be resisting the orders from the Ministry. This is certainly a new development that we must cautiously welcome. “These were comforting words; I hope she sticks to her word because my son is not insane” said Ali Naz’s father. A formal complaint is also being lodge at the Ministry on the instruction of Minister Aneesa.

DO called the Mr. Ali Ahmed, who is in charge of the investigation to try and obtain further information regarding the illicit detention of Mr. Ali Naz. Mr. Ali, who said that he does not have the authority to comment or give any information regarding the case. This is a clear indication that the case is being initiated and controlled from the very top brass in charge of the Police investigations.

DO has contacted and briefed Amnesty International about Ali Naz Saleem because this is a clear cut case of unlawful arbitrary detention. In the past these cases never come to public attention but now the reformists are united in making sure that the rule of law is observed in the Maldives. After all Maldives is a republic and not a kingdom. The country does have an adopted constitution, which must be the guide to governance. Gayyoom can practice his powers but it certainly does not mean that he can undermine the constitution.