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Nazim's Police Report : Gayyoom's Justice

In the Name of God, most Gracious most Merciful

Police Headquarters
Ministry of Defence and National Security
Malè
Maldives

16 March 2004

Name (with island, island address): Ahmed Nazim Abdul Sattar G.Kenereege Malè
Present Address: H.Madhrasaadhoshuge Date of Birth: 16-7-1976
Father/Mother: Abdul Sattar Umar I.D.Number: A011115
Occupation: Director of Oriental Academic Centre

I am a member of the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) which was launched on 10 November 2003 by way of the MDP’s website on the internet. I do not know how this Party was proclaimed or by whom. I found out about the Party’s inauguration from an email I received. This email did not have any information about its sender. I have since deleted the email having read its contents. MDP has not been registered in the Maldives and pursuing its activities has not been allowed in the country. I am the leading figure of MDP in Malè. I was assigned this task from an email I received similar to the one mentioned above. I have since deleted this email as well.

Ahmed Falah of M.Kudaveyomatheege, Ismail Zilah of G.Graphite and myself, having discussed and consulted each other in my house if it was possible that the Government might permit the formation of the Maldivian Democratic Party, and having talked about it with my brother Mohamed Nasheed of G.Kenereege over the telephone; and having discussed about preparing letters to be signed by MDP members and well-wishers that were to be taken along with us in our plan to go to Theemuge on 14 February 2004; I prepared an Agenda on how to proceed with our plans. The Agenda (titled Agenda 4 February 2004) includes points about holding a gathering in front of Theemuge on 14 February 2004 requesting to permit MDP to function; about the distribution of Party newsletters and about increasing Party membership. The Agenda was found by the police when they checked my belongings. I told Ahmed Falah of M.Kudaveyomatheege and Ismail Zilah of G.Graphite to come along with me when I go to Theemuge with the letters. And when about two to three (unknown) people telephoned me I told them I was going to Theemuge to hand over a letter to the President on 14 February 2004. I told Ahmed Falah and Ismail Zilah that we may wear the T-shirts prepared by MDP when we go to Theemuge if any one of us so wished. No prior appointment was made with the President in our plan to go to Theemuge to hand over the letter to the President.

I was to be the leader of the delegation going to Theemuge to present the letter to the President on behalf of the MDP. I was appointed to this task from an email sent to me by the MDP. These emails were sent to my email address (canary76@hotmail.com). I have no information on who sent me the emails. Having read them I have since deleted the emails.

In response to the Government rejecting to allow the formation of the Party in 2001, and in an attempt to persuade the Government to reconsider; having given Rf 3000/- (Rufiyaa three thousand) to Ismail Zilah of G.Graphite to buy T-shirts and having printed “Article 27 of the Constitution of Maldives: Persons shall be free to form societies and associations, unless prohibited by law in the interest of the protection of sovereignty of the Maldives and the maintenance of public order – Is public order only maintained at the expense of human rights?” and “Maldivian Democratic Party” on both side of the T-shirts – I distributed about 200 of these to the public. No one else save Ahmed Falah of M.Kudaveyomatheege, Ismail Zilah of G.Graphite and myself participated in printing the T-shirts. I did not get any permission from any Government authority to distribute the T-shirts. I also assigned Ahmed Falah of M.Kudaveyomatheege and Ismail Zilah of G.Graphite to distribute the T-shirts along with myself. I cannot recall the number of T-shirts I assigned them to distribute.

Following the release of the Presidential Commission’s report concerning the death of Evan Naseem, the article on the Dhivehi section of MDP newsletter issued on 1-15 February 2004 titled “Evan Naseem’s ‘all the same’ Report” was prepared by MDP members in Sri Lanka. All the material in the newsletter was written by the aforementioned members and sent to me by email. I do not specifically know who prepares the newsletters. However I do print out the newsletter (Dhivehi section of the newsletter issued on 1-15 February 2004) and distribute them among the public. In this way I photocopied 50 (fifty) copies of the newsletter from a photocopy machine in my house and distributed all of them. I distribute the newsletters in order to let the public know what is written on it. I do not distribute them intending to cause strife among people. I did not get any permission or approval from any Government authority to distribute the newsletter. I do not know that printing and distributing material coming from the internet is prohibited.

The aforementioned writings printed on the T-shirts were written solely by myself. Ahmed Falah of M.Kudaveyomatheege and Ismail Zilah of G.Graphite assisted me in stamping the writings on the T-shirts.

Moreover the written material I distributed in Malè appealing for people to join the Party came to me with the newsletter via email. I have not received any other written material save those I have mentioned here.

I also gave Ahmed Falah of M.Kudaveyomatheege and Ismail Zilah of G.Graphite Rf 2500/- (Rufiyaa two thousand five hundred) each as payment for distributing the newsletters and T-shirts. The money was from what I earned when I worked in UNICEF. In addition to this I also distributed T-shirts, having printed “Strengthening Human Rights – Nation’s Development” on both sides of them. These T-shirts were intended to be worn when we (those of MDP in Malè) go to see the President to request him to allow the Party to function. All expenditure relating to the T-shirts came from me.

I have not been to the West Park Cafeteria this year (2004). Any person or persons who claim that I attended an MDP meeting held in West Park Cafeteria are lying. And I have not attended any meeting held in M.Nedhunge. Any person or persons who claim that I attended an MDP meeting held in M. Nedhunge are lying. However I do go to M.Nedhunge to meet Aminath Najeeb and Jennifer Latheef of M.Nedhunge. But in none of these visits had I talked about a people’s gathering.

The owner of H.Manaal, my aunt Latheefa Ahmed is married to a New Zealnder. Latheefa Ahmed has two children. They are Aysha and Saeeda. Aysha lives in H.Manaal. Aysha and a friend of Aysha, a New Zealand girl called Alice, stayed with Aysha in Manaal. I believe they have now left the country. In spite of there being a door that connects H.Manaal with H.Madharusaadhoshuge they do not come to my house, H.Madharusaadhoshuge. Those who come to visit me enter my house through the gate of H.Manaal.

As MDP’s coordinator in Malè the task assigned to me is to print and distribute the newsletters issued by MDP and to prepare and distribute MDP T-shirts. I get MDP newsletters by email. I receive MDP writings criticising actions taken by the Government to my email addresses canary76@hotmail.com and canary@dhivehinet.net.mv. I also contact MDP Secretariat through these email addresses. I do not know who is in the Secretariat. In addition to this I get MDP messages by SMS as well.

The creation of MDP is needed to further strengthen the rights of the people. In my opinion the people’s rights are not firmly established at the moment. I believe those matters that involve the Government and the Public should not be covered up. In fact they should be openly criticized and the Public should have the right to discuss such matters freely.

On 8 February 2004 at 3:32, my brother Mohamed Nasheed of G.Kenereege sent me an email. The email says “Showing Ahmed Abbas [of G.Bamboo]as an MDP leader is intentional. I think Gayoom [the President] and others would now think this is so. You must find as many people as possible to sign the letter to Gayoom and tell them to sign the letter. All of them must go to Theemuge on the appointed time on 14 February 2004. There must be a lot of people in this gathering”. To my knowledge Mohamed Nasheed of G.Kenereege is a member of MDP.

The letter was intended to be handed over to the President on 14 February 2004 at a time when he was present at Theemuge. The letter has not yet been drafted in any form. It was to be drafted on Friday (13 February 2004). I was the person in Malè actively heading the initiative to present the letter on behalf of MDP.

In addition to this, in an email sent to me by my brother Mohamed Nasheed of G.Kenereege on 9 February 2004 at 9:25, he wrote that MDP received a lot of support from Haa. Alif Dhidhoo island; that the Minister of Information visited the island during Eid Festival ceremonies; that there was unrest in Dhidhoo; that fish entails were thrown onto the island jetty; that he understood that MDP newsletters were distributed in Dhidhoo and that he (Mohamed Nasheed) received these information from an (unknown) employee from the Voice of Maldives.

Moreover in an email I sent to my relatives on 11 February 2004 at 7:11 I told them that there are rumours that the Indian who died in Maafushi Prison did not commit suicide and that following the incident a group of Indians were coming to Malè for a demonstration. The story about the Indian’s death was related to me by Mareena of Raa Angolhitheemu Island who lives in my house. I do not know how Mareena got this information. I emailed this information to my relatives with the objective of letting them know about the information. I do not know if the information is true.

On 8 February 2004 at 3:15, my brother Mohamed Nasheed of G.Kenereege sent me an email. In the email Mohamed Nasheed requested members of my family to contribute 100/- (hundred) dollars for MDP expenditure and to give the money to me. However I have not received any such money so far.

I do not know any foreign media was going to come for the gathering to be held on 14 February 2004. Nor do I know if any group was coming from the islands on that day. And I have not discussed anything concerning this with anyone.

Ahmed Abbas of G.Bamboo frequents my house. But I have not seen him in my house in the presence of Ahmed Falah and Ismail Zilah. To my knowledge Aminath Najeeb of M.Nedhunge has not visited my house.

(signed and fingerprinted)

Ahmed Nazim Abdul Sattar

Investigated by Signature

S. Sergeant Mohamed Abdul Samad (S.Number 1845) (signed)

Sergeant Ali Ahmed (S.Number 916) (signed)

L. Corporal Abdullah Shateeh (S.Number 3546) (signed)

Heard by Signature

Private Ibrahim Mohamed (S.Number 4965) (signed)

Private Ahmed Quraisi (S.Number 4638) (signed)