UN rights chief says Maldives crackdown on political dissent 'all-out assault on democracy'
- 6 years ago
The UN human rights chief Zeid Ra'ad al-Hussein has condemned the crackdown on political dissent in the Maldives as "an all-out assault on democracy."
The island nation has been plunged into crisis recently, with the country's president declaring a state of emergency this week after the Supreme Court ordered the release of jailed opposition leaders.
The declaration led to two justices being arrested.
In a statement Wednesday, al-Hussein urged the Maldives government to immediately lift the state of emergency.
He accused President Abdulla Yameen Gayoom of "usurping the authority of the State's rule-of-law institutions and its ability to work independently from the executive."
The commissioner's criticism came a day after the three remaining Supreme Court judges reversed last week's ruling, reinstating the convictions against President Gayoom's political opponents.
The island nation has been plunged into crisis recently, with the country's president declaring a state of emergency this week after the Supreme Court ordered the release of jailed opposition leaders.
The declaration led to two justices being arrested.
In a statement Wednesday, al-Hussein urged the Maldives government to immediately lift the state of emergency.
He accused President Abdulla Yameen Gayoom of "usurping the authority of the State's rule-of-law institutions and its ability to work independently from the executive."
The commissioner's criticism came a day after the three remaining Supreme Court judges reversed last week's ruling, reinstating the convictions against President Gayoom's political opponents.