:: Dhivehi Observer :: Peoples Press ::

27 Years of Horror -Time for Charges against Gayyoom

by Donim, 3rd October 2004

As writers and analysts speculate about who was in charge of the 13 August crackdown on a peaceful protest against Gayoom and his government, scores of dissidents are still languishing in prisons and detention centres, amidst mounting evidence of grave human rights abuses.

Gayoom wants to pin charges of treason or a coup attempt on key dissidents. Locking up the opposition, and physically, sexually, and psychologically torturing men, women, and children do not add up to a very convincing picture of a leadership devoted to reform and human rights.

Gayoom knows he has a lot of explaining to do, and he clearly thinks it will make his task that much easier if his prosecutors can slap a charge of high treason on the reformists. Only they can't.

Nearly two months after they were arrested, police have been unable to find a single shred of evidence against the pro-democratic activists.

Under the guise of the state of emergency, police have been searching Gasim's resorts, Hussain Rasheed Hassan's cupboards, and Zuhaira's drawers, but to no avail.

Exposed, despised and mocked the world over, Gayoom may now be looking for people to take down with him. It should surprise no one that his camp is now resorting to planting rumours about Yameen, Fathulla, or Adam Zahir running the show on 13 August, even on opposition websites.

Meanwhile Abji is a nervous wreck, Gasim and Ibrahim Hussain Zaki may be seriously ill, and even Zuhaira's remarkable strength is said to be crumbling. And, God only knows the plight of Aminath Najeeb and Jennifer Latheef. These people's only 'crime' is standing up for their rights, but that is enough to invoke Gayoom's wrath.

The Maldives dictator has never been able to take criticism. His habitual response to any form of challenge has been to lock the challenger up, and to keep them locked up until their dissenting spirit is crushed.
But this time around, there is enough evidence for Maldivians and international human rights lawyers to bring criminal charges against Gayoom in an international court.

Gayoom can battle it out there and decide who to take down with him. Never again must Maldivians be subjected to what they have been through in Gayoom's 27 years of horror.