Thirty nations had called on the Government of the Maldives to ensure independence for judiciary and independent institutions of the country.
The statement from the UK Mission to the United Nations Geneva was read in the ongoing 35th session of the UN Human Rights Council.
The statement said that it was ‘equally important that the Maldives enhance the independence of its judiciary and other domestic institutions and ensure that they provide the checks and balances which are essential for any democracy.’
Noting that a robust opposition was a part of every democracy, the statement called on the Government to ensure that all political views and politicians were given unbarred access to function in the nation.
‘The Constitution of the Maldives contains strong guarantees for freedom of expression. We regret that in practice, this freedom is being increasingly curtailed in a manner contrary to both the Constitution of the Maldives’ and its international human rights obligations,’ the statement read.
The statement had commended the Government’s pledge to hold a thorough investigation and prosecution of those involved in the murder of blogger Yameen Rasheed. However, it noted that journalist Ahmed Rilwan still remains missing.
‘We encourage the Maldives Government to take steps to prevent the intimidation of human rights defenders including by those promoting violent extremism,’ it said.
The thirty nations had also said they were prepared to extend assistance to address the human rights situation and said they hoped Maldives will work with the Council to address them.
The thirty nations that issued the statement are Austria, Australia, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Czech Republic, Cyprus, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Latvia, Lichtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sweden, Switzerland, Ukraine, United Kingdom and United States.
