Fayyaz criticises charges against woman's fall protestors
Mahzoom and Shiman were arrested during the protests and held in custody for three days.
Opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) Chairperson Fayyaz Ismail has criticised the decision to prosecute Abdulla Mahzoom Majid and Aishath Shiman, who participated in protests demanding justice for Hawwa Yumnu Rasheed.
Yumnu was found injured on the roof of the H. Mitaz warehouse on 18 April.
Mahzoom and Shiman were arrested during the protests and held in custody for three days. Although both were later released, charges were filed at the Criminal Court.
In a post on social media platform X on Thursday, Fayyaz described the charges as unjust and stated that prosecuting the two individuals for participating in protests was an attempt to suppress public dissent, particularly among youth.
The protests were held in response to public dissatisfaction with the handling of the investigation into Rasheed’s case. Fayyaz stated that the prosecution of the two protestors was a misuse of the criminal justice system to discourage freedom of expression and assembly.
According to the Prosecutor General’s Office:
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Abdulla Mahzoom Majid has been charged under Article 120(b)(3) of the Penal Code, relating to causing injury. The basic punishment for the offence is one month and six days. The charge stems from an incident during the protest in which Mahzoom allegedly pushed a police officer in the chest when officers attempted to remove a loudspeaker from the scene.
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Aishath Shiman has been charged under Article 532(a)(c) of the Penal Code, which concerns obstructing the duty of a law enforcement officer. The basic sentence for the offence is four months and 24 days. The charge relates to an allegation that Shiman crossed the police line during the protest and entered a police-designated area, obstructing the officers’ actions.
