Human rights in the Maldives

The constitution states that all Maldivians must be Sunni Muslim.[10] On 14 December 2011 a group of ten men attacked peaceful demonstrators in Malé calling for religious tolerance. Sufi Ismail Khilath Rasheed sustained a skull fracture and was later arrested as his calls for tolerance were unconstitutional. No effort was made to arrest the attackers.[10] On 5 June 2012, Rasheed was stabbed in the neck.[11] Reporters Without Borders stated that it appeared that he had been deliberately targeted for his journalism.[12] A minister of the Maldivian government condemned the attack, but also added "Hilath must have known that he had become a target of a few extremists ... We are not a secular country. When you talk about religion there will always be a few people who do not agree."[13]

The Ministry of Islamic Affairs is the only body which grants licenses to imams, and sermons must be approved. They also control religious education and have the power to deport any non-Muslim. Non-Muslim foreigners must practice their religion in private.[2]

Defamation and Speech "contrary to the tenets of Islam" is illegal.

2008 saw the Maldives' first private television channels. In August 2010 private channel Villa TV was attacked, and journalists were attacked by police for covering a political protest in October 2010.[2] Opposition websites can be accessed in the country, but some Christian missionary websites have been blocked by the Ministry of Islamic Affairs.[2]

On 1 May 2011 two journalists – one from Haveeru Daily and one from Sun FM – were arrested for covering a protest. They were released after 24 hours.[3]

The constitution protects "freedom of peaceful assembly without prior permission of the State", and the U.S. State Department claims these rights are generally upheld.[3]

In July 2020, Human Rights Watch denounced the Maldivian government's recent enforcement of laws restricting protests and other gatherings, saying that the government's actions constituted a violation of fundamental rights. The government's decision to enforce the laws came in the wake of multiple protests staged during the month of July.[14]

Vigilantes attack a man in Malé after a theft.

The Maldives does not practice Sharia Law. Most judges have no formal legal training and are given much leeway in their interpretations of Muslim law.[10]

The Maldives National Defence Force holds human rights courses.[3]

Flogging is a frequently imposed punishment, and carried out behind the court buildings.[10] 96 people – over 80% of them women – were sentenced to this mode of punishment in 2010.[3]

Arbitrary arrest and detention is illegal.[3]

At least four members of parliament were arrested in July 2010. They claimed the detentions were carried out to force them to comply with political demands. They were released soon after.[15] On 16 August 2011 one of these MPs, Abdullah Yameen, was granted compensation.[3]

Parliament contains five female members, and women have a 98% literacy rate.[2]

In 2011 four police officers were discharged from the force, but not formally charged, for driving a woman around Malé, forcing her to strip her clothes, sexually and physically abusing her, and throwing her on the street.[3]

As the state partially practices Sharia law in some matters, homosexuality is illegal. The punishment for men is nine months to one year imprisonment, or 10 to 30 lashes. The punishment for women is nine months to one year of house arrest.[3]