Maldives opposition critical of 'draconian' anti-Islamic State law
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Version 0 of 1. The Maldives has passed a law allowing authorities to install cameras in the homes of people they suspect of being Islamic State sympathisers and arrest them if they try to join the militants overseas. The anti-terror legislation, signed by President Yameen Abdul Gayoom, follows reports that many Isis recruits were coming from the Indian Ocean archipelago of just 350,000 people. The opposition criticised the law as draconian and warned it could be used to crack down on dissent. “This is an unconstitutional law that will be used to suppress dissent and jail opposition leaders,” opposition Maldivian Democratic party spokesman Hamid Abdul Ghafoor said. Related: Tourists may be urged to boycott Maldives over ex-president's jail term The actual number of Maldivian fighters in the extremist group is unknown, but local newspapers carry frequent reports of Maldivians wounded or killed while fighting in the Middle East. Home minister Umar Naseer said the government had details on seven Maldivian Isis fighters, while another 10 people were stopped in Sri Lanka and Malaysia on suspicion of trying to get to Syria to join the group. They were not arrested because there was no legal provision, Naseer said. The new law, however, would allow for arrests. The law defines terrorism broadly, including cases of endangering another person, hijacking a transportation vessel, kidnapping, endangering public safety, vandalism and causing health hazards. The government can now seek a court order to fit suspected Isis sympathisers with electronic monitoring tags, listen to their phone conversations and prevent them from traveling abroad if the trip is deemed suspicious. The legislation allows the president to declare any group a terrorist organisation. Anyone belonging to such an organisation would then be in danger of being imprisoned for up to 15 years. Anyone who gives a speech that authorities believe encourages terrorism can be prosecuted, along with any media that report on such speeches. Authorities can hold suspects for 96 hours for questioning without a court hearing and suspects are allowed to meet with their lawyers only in the presence of police. Naseer said the government would not abuse the powers and insisted the intention of the law was to prevent violence. Former president Mohamed Nasheed’s lawyer, Amal Clooney, recently said the Maldives had the world’s highest Isis recruitment per capita, but gave no details or numbers. In a country where the vice president, former defence minister and former president are all currently behind bars, critics say the legislation is a major cause for concern and evidence that the politically tense nation is sliding back toward autocracy. Related: Maldives boosts tourist resort security amid search for explosives Nasheed is appealing against a 13-year prison sentence for ordering the arrest of a judge during his presidential term in 2008-11. Mohamed Nazim, Gayoom’s former defence minister, was imprisoned for 11 years for firearm possession, and vice president Ahmed Adeeb was arrested on the weekend on suspicion of treason for allegedly plotting to assassinate Gayoom in a boat explosion on 28 September. |