(We are all machines. Slaves of the system. Only when we free our minds can we free ourselves.)

It was a day that changed many things. It was a day that stirred the conscience of many people. What happened in Male’ that day can be both explained and justified. Yet, a few young people are taking blame and paying the price for all that happened

What happened that day was the response of society to a brutality that continued without being questioned, without being challenged.

“The four involved were all youngsters who are in their twenties and to sentence them on acts of terrorism is not only cruel but misuse of the terrorist laws. The acts of violence they committed were serious but to use terrorism laws is beyond comprehension.” SAAG paper of 14 October 2005, titled ‘MALDIVES: Misuse of Terrorism Laws should Cease’, by Dr. S Chandrasekharan says. (http://www.saag.org/%5Cpapers16%5Cpaper1577.html)

The acts of violence that they committed? Now wait a minute.

“Jennifer Lathhef, daughter of the MDP co-founder Mohamed Latheef, is also facing charges of terrorism for allegedly having thrown a stone at a policeman on September 20, 2003 when a quarter of the population of Male’ took to the streets fueled by rage at the brutal murder of Evan Naseem and several others at Maafushi jail by the security forces personnel there.

“Four others – Shabeer of Welcome Villa, Seenu Hulhudhoo, Abdulla Alexander of M.Arrow Villa, Male’, Ikuleel Ibrahim of Vidhaa Thari, Ga. Kanduhulhudhoo and Ahmed Moosa (Jordan) of M. Hathikandu, Male’ – were sentenced on charges of terrorism at the beginning of October.

“Xia Abbas, a nephew of the First Lady Nasreena, was among those charged for terrorism in relation to the events of September 20, 2003. It is ironic, but the British government who has legitimate concerns about terrorists – it was only recently that bomb blasts rocked the capital London – has offered asylum to Xia Abbas while he faces terrorism charges at home.” writes Ali Rasheed, in an article titled ‘Terrorist Season’ begins in the Maldives published by Minivan News on October 15, 2005. (http://www.minivannews.com/news/news.php?id=1319)

Jennifer’s case has received the greatest publicity. As a result, the weakness in prosecution has also been highlighted in her case.

“Jenny, who is 32, was tried for ‘terrorism’ for allegedly throwing a stone at a police officer during the 20th September 2003 riots. She flatly denies all charges and has accused President Gayoom – who heads the judiciary and can overturn her verdict at will – of using her as a weapon to attack her father Mohamed Latheef, who resides in exile in Sri Lanka.

“Jenny told Minivan News in January 2005 that her trial was “surreal” with the prosecution witnesses changing their recollections about what they saw on the 20th September during the hearing itself:

“They [the prosecution] had nine witnesses. Six of them were police people, cops, three of them were civilians. I think they hang out together and they [the three civilians] were together during 20th September. These people said one thing in their statements and when they came to court they said something else.

“It was surreal being there first of all. It was just a joke. I couldn’t believe what the prosecution witnesses were saying. They changed what they were saying if they were asked a question twice. They’d say that they “didn’t see me throw a stone” when my lawyer said “you were very far away from Jenny weren’t you?” Then the prosecutor asked them and they would say they did see me throw a stone.

“One of the policemen said I threw a stone at him. Now, I did go up to the police that day outside the hospital. They were there in a line. These police had nothing to do with Evan’s death but I knew that the people who had gathered there did not want to see a policeman. The police were making the people angrier just by being there. I said to them “you have nothing to do with this, you’re just agitating the public.” That’s all I said. I didn’t talk to anyone in particular, I addressed them in general. Then people started throwing rocks and I left and I went home, I didn’t want to be there. I went back later to document what was going on and to take pictures but that was all.” Minivan News reported on September 20, 2005.(http://www.minivannews.com/news/news.php?id=1232)

In the same news article, Abbas Faiz of Amnesty International is quoted:

“These events triggered a chain of reforms which the government keeps referring to in their meetings with representatives of the international community. Now, they cannot on the one hand say that they have realised there is a need for reforms, and promise that they are carrying out these reforms, but at the same time try to silence the very voices whose civil protests in the streets of Malé in 2003 pushed forward the reform agenda.”

If there were such inconsistencies and holes in what was presented by the prosecution in Jenny’s case, it must have been the same with the cases of the others who were sentenced.

Now let’s read about the day of sentencing. Minivan News reports it on October 2, 2005.
(http://www.minivannews.com/news/news.php?id=1274)

“In a highly controversial move, President Gayoom sentenced four youngsters to over 10 years in prison today, for their part in the 20th September 2003 Male’ unrest, which was sparked by the murder of 19 year-old Evan Naseem by security personnel in Maafushi Jail.

“The four convicted were: Abdullah Alexander (Alec), M. Arrow Villa, 23 yrs at the beginning of trial – sentenced to 11 years imprisonment for committing an act of terrorism; Ikleel Ibrahim (Ikul), Vidhaa Thari, G.A. Kanduhulhudhoo, 22 yrs at beginning of trial – sentenced to 10 years for participation in a terrorist act; Abdullah Shabir, Welcome Villa, S. Hulhudhoo, 21 yrs at beginning of trial – sentenced to 11 years in jail for committing an act of terrorism; and Ahmed Moosa (Jordan), M. Hathikandu, 18 yrs at beginning of trial – sentenced to 11 years in jail for committing an act of terrorism.

“The sentencing started at 12:05pm. A Minivan reporter noted that none of the four defendants had their lawyers with them and all of their convictions were based on police statements.

“The four were also convicted as a group, even though the alleged crimes were not committed as a group.

“Moreover, although it was alleged by the government that each defendant had committed these acts jointly with a number of other people, those people were not produced in court and even though they were frequently referred to in court they have never been accused.

“The four were found guilty under Articles 2(f) and (g) of Prevention of Terrorism Act. They were found guilty of vandalizing and setting on fire public and government property and shouting and inciting violence against security forces whereby “terrorizing the public” because of their enmity towards the security forces over the murder of their friend Evan Naseem and because of the shooting incidents that killed and wounded inmates at Maafushi Jail.

“Abdullah Alexander (Alec) was in Male’ on the 20th September for medical treatment whilst already serving a jail sentence. He reportedly signed the police statement saying that he was involved in the Male’ unrest saying that he did not think it “would make a difference” given that he was already in jail. However, he was soon pardoned by Gayoom for his original offence but then brought to trial on the basis of the statement he signed. Alec, who holds a Dutch passport, has been in and out of jail in Maldives since first being arrested when he was twelve. He has often spoken-out about torture in Maldives jails.

“Ahmed Moosa (Jordan) pleaded not guilty on the first day of his trial. He appeared indifferent to the trial process, reportedly stating he has no confidence in a fair trial given that nobody in the Maldives has ever been acquitted under President Gayoom’s rule.

“Shabeer accepted that he had committed acts of vandalism but he denied it was done to “terrorize” the general public. He told the court that he had acted against the police because they were a threat to society at large. He also claimed to have helped put out the burning police vehicles on the 20th September, which, he said, proved he was not intent on “terrorizing” the general public.

“Ikleel Ibrahim pleaded not guilty. He admitted he had shouted and screamed on the 20th September but insisted he had not committed any acts of violence. The State read out an incident whereby he had cautioned a police officer telling him to leave the place because he might sustain an injury because the mob could not be stopped. Ikleel asserted that he had seen a many people, such as himself, on the 20th September who had gone there to see what was happening. He questioned why they had not been accused of anything, whereas he was being accused of terrorism. He also ridiculed the fact that anyone could possibly believe such destruction as alleged by the State could have been wrought by a mere six people.

“On hearing the verdict in court, Ahmed Moosa’s mother suffered a breakdown. His brother, Ali Moosa, angered by the sentencing, began shouting. He was handcuffed and taken away by security officers, leaving his mother in hysterics. The four convicted today were taken to jail immediately following the hearing.”

Jennifer Latheef has been declared a Prisoner of Conscience by Amnesty International. Reporters without Borders (RSF) are putting pressure to release her because she was a journalist for Minivan Daily. She may as well be released soon based on the recent secret negotiations between the government and MDP.

But what about Ziya Abbas? Should he be caught in this game as a pawn and should he continue life as a person evading Maldivian authorities because of acts in which a large proportion of Male’ population participated? And should his case always be raised by the opposition media because he happens to be the nephew of First Lady Nasreena?

What about the four already in prison? Should we leave them in the torture cells of Maafushi? It all began in a September night when young Eavan Naseem was brutally killed there.

Now Alec, Jordan, Shabeer and Ikleel, who are not new to torture there, are facing the horrors of Maafushi again, for being part of a population that tried to resist the system. The government has silenced “the very voices whose civil protests in the streets of Malé in 2003 pushed forward the reform agenda.”

Further Reading:
http://www.dhivehiobserver.com/reports/detainees-update271020051.htm