Dhivehi Observer :: The People's Press ::

Naushad Waheed... wasted talents of Maldives

27.07.2004

Mr. Naushad Waheed is a 41 year old Maldivian artist who has been behind bars for expressing his discontent about the regime of Maumoon Abdul Gayoom. Naushad has been in solitary confinement on several occasions since 1990. Then he was kept in solitary confinement for 45 days for drawing a cartoon in a popular magazine called Hukuru. He was again arrested in 1991 and kept in solitary confinement for 4 months at the notorious Dhoonidhoo Island Prison.

Naushad has 2 sons, who are 13 and 8 years old. They have no idea why their beloved father is constantly being taken away for long periods by the brutal regime of Maumoon. Naushad is known to his friends as one of the most talented artists in the Maldives who is not only committed to his work but also has taught art to many Maldivians. Following is extract from Amnesty International Report July 2003 on Maldives.

www.naushadarts.com

Naushad Waheed, a businessman and artist, with a history of political imprisonment, was arrested on 9 December 2001 from his work place, "Naushad Arts School" (a private school of arts owned by Waheed and run by him and several other arts teachers) in Mal? He was first taken to his house. There, police searched the house thoroughly and confiscated some of his belongings. He was then taken back to the arts school. A lot of documents and all computers were taken away from the school. He was then held in Dhoonidhoo detention centre for about five months. After that, he was transferred to house arrest which lasted until October 2002. He was then charged with treason, reportedly because of his involvement in public debates deemed critical of the government.

Naushad Waheed had been an outspoken critic of the government and also one of the signatories of the application for the establishment of the MDP. On 14 October 2002, he was tried in the Criminal Court without access to a lawyer or the opportunity to defend himself. Some 10 days after his trial, he was told he had been sentenced to 15 years' imprisonment. He was transferred to Maafushi where he is now held in Block G, Cell 3 (there are 5 cells in this block). He shares this cell with about 20 other prisoners. He has family visits for one hour each month.

He has reportedly lost a lot of weight and has become mentally unstable. The authorities have reportedly not provided him with adequate medical treatment. ?

We demand his immediate and unconditional release. Gayoom, you must now hear the pleas of thousand of people and release him and other prisoners of conscience. You stand to loose more from keeping him behind bars. This is not justice; it is the law of the jungle.

We salute you Naube' for your courage and determination and we take our hats off in appreciation of your extraordinary talent!

Please visit
www.naushadarts.com