:: Dhivehi Observer :: Peoples Press ::

THE TORTURE CONTINUES

by Donim - 16th October 2004

There is growing concern that Gayyoom's lengthy detention of his opponents may be affecting their mental health.

Member of the Maldives constitutional council or the Special Majlis, Ibrahim Hussein Zaki, is reported to be having trouble recognising members of his own family.

Special Majlis member Qasim Ibrahim, who some argue is the rightful speaker of that Majlis, is said to have trembled uncontrollably when he was in hospital recently.

Relatives of the detainees are worried about the physical and mental well-being of their loved ones, and the lack of proper medical attention.

This is not being helped by the refusal of doctors at the Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital (IGMH) in Male' to explain fully the conditions of the detainees and what medication they are being given.

Gayyoom's police are not allowing independent medical examination of the detainees.

Meanwhile pro-Gayyoom websites are openly gloating that some of the detainees have crumbled under pressure and have "squealed" on other detainees.

Maldivian law prohibits the use of torture and coercion to extract confession out of suspects as does the UN convention against torture which Gayyoom signed early this year.

Both the national human rights commission and overseas missions have expressed concern about the treatment of the detainees, but Gayyoom and his ministers like Umar Zahir, Ismail Shafeeu, and Hassan Saeed continue to deny the alleged human rights abuses.

Some of Gayyoom's lies have already been openly exposed.

Earlier the dictator had categorically said in a BBC interview that the detainees had not been blindfolded or handcuffed.

But a latter statement by his own defense ministry admitted that those arrested had been blindfolded and handcuffed.

Gayyoom and his supporters seem to sense a lull in overseas pressure and this may explain the continued detention without charge or trial of his political opponents and the lack of any inquiry into the alleged police atrocities.

The EU and other nations must begin to enforce some of the threatened sanctions in order that Gayyoom realises that they mean business.

Sources close to Gayyoom say that he was particularly worried about the possibility of travel restrictions against members of his government.