High Court overturns sex crime conviction of renowned Quran teacher

The High Court on Sunday (October 16) overturned the conviction of renowned Quran teacher or reciter Hussain Thoufeeq, for committing a sex crime. In November 2013, Thaufeeq was sentenced to six months banishment and 15 lashes for sexually abusing children. However the Criminal Court suspended the sentence for three years, on the grounds it was the Qari’s first offence. Thaufeeq appealed the verdict and the High Court ruled noted that the three witnesses were all related, had not reported the matter to police, and had testified after being evicted from their apartment. Presiding Judges Abbas Shareef, Yousuf Hussain, and Dr Ezmirelda...

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Posted in: Politics / Religion,Society

EU demanded same sex marriage, freedom of religion, claim ministers

The European Union (EU) demanded legalisation of same sex marriage and freedom of religion in return for extending duty-free status to Maldivian exports of canned tuna, Economic Development Minister Mohamed Saeed and Fisheries Minister Dr Mohamed Shainee have claimed.At a press conference this afternoon, Saeed said that the reason for the EU’s decision was the Maldives’ refusal to accept the condition for “allowing homosexual relations and the opportunity for people to follow any religion they want”.“The Maldives is an Islamic state and will remain so. We will uphold Islam. We will not compromise on anything that conflicts with Islam,” he said.Last...

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Posted in: Politics / Religion

Four arrested on child sexual abuse charges

Four people have been arrested from Seenu atoll Meedhoo, charged with sexually abusing a 14 year old girl. Police reports that the four local men arrested on the case reported to them on 16, September consists of men aged 18, 21, 37 and 68 years. Apart from this information, the police did not reveal any other details regarding the men arrested. They did inform that the case had been reported to them by the girl’s family and that they had arrested the four men in a two day special police operation.  Meedhoo Magistrate Court had remanded the detainees for 15 days for further investigations. Via Haveeru ...

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Posted in: Society

Three more hospitalised as wave of attacks continues

Three more stabbings have occurred in the capital Malé within the last 24 hours, bringing the total number of attacks in the past week to nine. Two men – both aged 18-years-old – were attacked in broad daylight in the area near Henveiru Park this morning, while a 19-year-old was attacked in the same area yesterday (August 1). Those attacked this morning were treated at the nearby Senahiya military hospital before being transferred to ADK, while yesterday’s victim has been taken to IGMH. Local media has identified the 18-year-olds as Ali Arif, from Henveiru Shaiban, and Mohamed Mazin, from Dhiggaamaage in Meemu Miladhoo. Mazin’s condition...

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Posted in: Society

Comment: Open letter from refugee Abraham Naim to people of Maldives

Abraham Naim is a Maldivian who claimed asylum in New Zealand last year for fear of persecution at home due to his homosexuality – a crime under the Maldives’ Shariah-based legal system. Naim made international headlines last month after New Zealand media wrote about his prize-winning drag act, performed under the pseudonym Medulla Oblongata. To the people of the Maldives, There have been a lot of things said about me in the media back home, and I would like to say a few things in response. Firstly, I am not a transgendered woman, I am a drag queen. What I do is performance art. I do not wish to live as a woman. I entertain people...

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Posted in: Letters,Politics / Religion,Society

Doctor accused of attempted rape released

Police have released a doctor accused of trying to rape a colleague at a health centre in an island. A spokesperson on Sunday confirmed the doctor’s release, but declined to identify him. The spokesperson also did not disclose the island at which the incident had happened. Police had said earlier that the attempted rape took place on June 16. The doctor had locked his colleague at his consultation room after he had finished diagnosing all the patients, the police had said. via HaveeruOnli...

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Posted in: News

Human rights and wrongs – The Weekly Review

June 7th – 13th A series of attacks and abductions in the capital Malé this week brought concern and condemnation from politicians and human rights stakeholders. The incidents, understood to have been part of a vigilante campaign against supporters of atheism and homosexuality, have yet to provoke a response from the government. Reports emerged of groups having previously expressed their concern regarding the publication of content offensive to Islam. While the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) voiced concerns at the reports of the physical assault and threatening of multiple individuals last weekend, the vice president of the Human Rights Commission urged the state to reassure the public of their safety. Minivan News spoke with previous victims of online threats turned into...

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Posted in: News,Report

How serious are cyber death threats?

In July 2009, blogger Hilath Rasheed broke news of an underage girl being kept as a concubine on his blog. Soon afterwards, he started receiving death threats online. He was accused of being an infidel and anonymous commenters sent him messages warning him against walking in dark alleyways. They threatened to slash his throat and behead him. Two years later, in June 2012, three men ambushed Hilath in a dark alleyway leading up to his apartment block, slashed his throat and left him for dead. Recalling the events today, Hilath told Minivan News he had not taken cyber death threats seriously before the fatal attack. He had also suffered...

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Posted in: Politics / Religion

Human Rights Commission VP calls for state response to abductions

Human Rights Commission (HRCM) Vice President Ahmed Tholal has called for an immediate state response to reports of a series of vigilante attacks in the capital over recent days. “The concern to me is that there needs to be a state response to state very clearly that we cannot just start labelling people un-Islamic as it’s a very dangerous thing,” said Tholal. After multiple accounts of the abductions and assault of individuals perceived to be supportive of atheism or homosexuality, the HRCM plans to meet with state representatives in order to determine the cause for these events. “I think the issue of safety of paramount. We’re not...

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Posted in: Politics / Religion,Society

Perceived atheists and homosexuals targetted as campaign of attacks continues

Government employee, Adam Ghafoor*, was attacked on Sunday in a Malé cafe by a group of eight men accusing him and his friends of homosexuality and atheism. ‘You homosexual atheists are destroying our country – we will not stand back and watch you do it,’ Adam reported the group as saying. After being accused of being atheists, Adam asked the men to leave, prompting his interrogators to launch an attack – raining blows on him as onlookers watched without offering assistance. Details of this attack follow further reports received by Minivan News today of abductions made by a vigilante mob attempting to identify online activists advocating...

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Posted in: Politics / Religion

Man sentenced to 14 years in jail for molesting a 16 year old boy

The Criminal Court has sentenced a man to 14 years in jail for molesting a 16-year-old boy. Ahmed Ibrahim, 38, of Lhaviyani Atoll Naifaru Island, was caught in a Malé City guesthouse with the boy in September 2012. The Maldives Police Services say Ibrahim has a previous record of homosexuality and child abuse. In 2002, Ibrahim was sentenced to nine months banishment and 15 lashes in public for homosexuality, the police said. While serving his sentence on Alif Alif Atoll Thoddoo Island, Ibrahim was caught sexually abusing another 16-year-old boy. In 2009, Ibrahim was again accused of molesting two male minors in Malé, police said. Reports...

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Posted in: News

Vigilante mobs abduct young men in push to identify online secular activists

Vigilante mobs have abducted and interrogated several young men in Malé City in a push to identify online activists advocating secularism or professing atheism, Minivan News has learned.Eyewitnesses told Minivan News the young men were taken to isolated locations in Malé City in separate incidents in recent days.A vigilante mob interrogated them on the identities of administrators of Facebook groups advocating secularism and atheism in the Maldives.Minivan News understands the abductions are also related to the hijacking of a Facebook group called ‘Colorless’ on Sunday.The group has 4,865 members and was set up with in the wake of February...

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Posted in: Politics / Religion

Maldivian asylum seekers assured of prosecution upon return, says President’s Office

Maldivians seeking asylum abroad on grounds of religion or sexuality can be assured of prosecution should they return, says the President’s Office. “The threat from the state they speak of is in actuality our law and regulations. That will not change,” President’s Office Spokesman Ibrahim Muaz explained. Muaz’s comments come in response to a story in the New Zealand media that a homosexual Maldivian asylum seeker has become an prize-winning drag queen in Wellington. Abraham Naim told the Dominion Post that he had been granted asylum in 2013 after facing persecution in the Maldives. The article quotes New Zealand’s Ministry of Business,...

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Posted in: Politics / Religion,Society

Gay refugee wins drag pageant

OUT AND PROUD: Abraham Naim as hisdrag queen alter ego Medulla Oblongata. A refugee crowned Wellington's top drag queen expects hate mail after wearing a gold burqa as he stripped on stage, discarding a head-to-toe Muslim woman's robe. Abraham Naim, who goes by the drag stage name Medulla Oblongata, won the Miss Capital Drag pageant in Wellington on Sunday night. Last year he was granted asylum in New Zealand because of the persecution he faced being gay in the Maldives where the official religion is Islam. "I'm definitely in a better place now," he said. In its decision to grant Naim refugee status last November, the Ministry...

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Posted in: Arts / Entertainment,News,Society,True Stories

Pedophile sentenced to 25 years in prison

The magistrate court in Ungoofaaru in Raa atoll on Wednesday sentenced a man to 25 years of imprisonment for a string of sexual offenses, which includes sexually molesting a boy. Ahmed Abdul-Raheem, 56, was charged with sexually molesting a boy, engaging in homosexual activities in front of the boy and the possession of pornographic materials.  He was charged on January 22 after an incident where he had sexually abused a 15 year old boy in his kitchen in Dhuvaafaru in Raa atoll, came to light. It was then revealed that the man had also engaged in sexual activities with another man in the boy’s presence – also at his kitchen. Upon...

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Posted in: Society

Pedophile sentenced to 25 years in prison

Ahmed Abdul-Rahman, who was sentenced on April 9, 2014 on charges multiple sexual offenses The magistrate court in Ungoofaaru in Raa atoll on Wednesday sentenced a man to 25 years of imprisonment for a string of sexual offenses, which includes sexually molesting a boy. Ahmed Abdul-Raheem, 56, was charged with sexually molesting a boy, engaging in homosexual activities in front of the boy and the possession of pornographic materials.  He was charged on January 22 after an incident where he had sexually abused a 15 year old boy in his kitchen in Dhuvaafaru in Raa atoll, came to light. It was then revealed that the man had also...

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Posted in: News

Majlis debates Bill on Sexual Offenses again

During yesterday’s morning session of the Parliament, MPs debated on the Bill on Sexual Offenses, following its return to the People’s Majlis by the President for further review. The President sent the bill back for review as per Article 91 (a) of the Constitution. Eleven MPs spoke on the Bill time allocated for debate. The report by the Committee on Secondary Legislation on including the Regulation of Issuance of Law Licenses in the Maldives in Appendices 1 of the Law for the General Regulations (Act No. 6/2008) was presented and subsequently debated by Members. Two Members spoke on the report following its submission. Yesterday’s Sitting is the Fourth Sitting of the First Session of People’s Majlis and was presided over by Speaker Abdulla Shahid. via Miad...

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Posted in: Politics / Religion

Doctor arrested for sexually harassing a boy

A 32-year old foreign doctor has been arrested for allegedly sexually harassing a 14-year old boy from Maakurathu in Raa Atoll. According to the police, the island's resident doctor was taken in to police custody on Thursday. The court has since added 15 more days to his detention period, revealed a police spokesperson. On the 13th of March, a 45-year old man was arrested for sexually harassing a 15-year old who he had brought to Male', after promising her better educational opportunities from the capital. The man was arrested from Lhos in Noonu Atoll where he was at, with the girl. Via Havee...

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Posted in: News

Man arrested for abusing 1-year-old daughter

Police on Wednesday arrested a man in Vilimale for allegedly sexually abusing a one-year old baby and his two step children. Police said that the man arrested is of 45 years in age. According to police, the man was arrested at 11pm late in the evening for allegedly sexually abusing his one-year-old baby daughter and his two step children; an 11 and a 12-year-old.  The Criminal Court had extended the man's detainment for 10 days. Police said that the case is now being investigated by Child Abuse Investigation Unit at Family and Child Protection Department. via Havee...

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Posted in: News

President announces clemency plan for all prisoners except “extremely serious offenders”

President Abdulla Yameen has announced that he will grant clemency to all prisoners except those convicted for extremely serious crimes, including murder and terrorism. “On the first of April, I will grant the highest form of clemency possible to all prisoners convicted for crimes other than the most serious ones,” Yameen stated on Wednesday night, speaking at a political rally held in Fuvahmulah. Yameen stated that his administration wishes to re-introduce youth prisoners into society under a rehabilitation program. The government has therefore decided to grant clemency to all non-serious offenders who are currently in prison, he added. The...

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Posted in: News,Politics / Religion