Ahmed Azim, now Shadow Minister to the MUO (Maldives United Opposition) has on Wednesday called on Maldivians to rally against ‘closing avenues of freedom’ and to utilize what ‘little’ of it is ‘untaken’ now.  

Azim, brother to jailed former Defense Minister Mohamed Nazim, said at a MUO panel discussion on professed threats against state employees aimed at coercing them to join the ruling party, that citizens must exercise their ‘quickly-closing’ freedom of speech and put their liberties to use for the purpose of ‘restoring justice’.

He further said it was their duty to rally for freedom despite the restrictions placed on it.

Azim is referring to President Abdulla Yameen’s ratification of the first-ever amendment to the law on freedom of assembly, stating that street protests and marches can only be held with a written permission from the police.

The opposition, on Wednesday, filed a three-point case against ruling Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM), which accused them of coercing state employees into joining the party and criticized restrictions on political expression.  

Amnesty International’s year-end report on the state of human rights for 2016, it described the aforementioned amendment to freedom of assembly as ‘assaults’ on ‘expression’.

“Authorities also silenced political opponents, human rights defenders, and journalists, using legislation criminalizing “defamatory” speech, remarks and other actions” the report further said.