Cases are filed against MDP members to intimidate them: MDP

Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) has said that cases are filed by the state ‘only’ against members of MDP following arrests made at protests, to intimidate them.

Speaking to reporters outside Justice building, MDP legal team member Ahmed Abdullah Afeef said that no charges were pressed against opposition parties when they harmed Police and Armed Forces during protests held earlier, but cases re filed against MDP protesters to ‘intimidate’ them.

“This is an act of intimidation by the state to end our activities. We will protest against this,” Afeef said.

He said that difficulties are faced in providing legal assistance to people arrested in islands, and that MDP activists are discriminated against even in providing legal assistance.

MDP legal team member Abdullah Shair criticised the Prosecutor General, indicating that the state is biased when pressing charges against individuals.

He said that MDP members were seriously injured on the day the government changed, and Human Rights Commission and Police Integrity Commission had failed to investigate these cases.

“Human Rights Commission totally failed, Police Integrity Commission totally failed. Three months have passed and we have been talking not about one citizen being harmed, but about damage being caused to the Police Institution and MNDF. At least these things should be investigated,” he said.

MDP legal team said that charges had been pressed against 44 people following protests since the change of government. Cases had been filed against thirty people at Kulhudhuffushi Court, 12 people at Criminal Court, and two people at Naifaru Court.