Dissolved MDN founder appeals Civil Court verdict
The Civil Court ruled that there was no basis for declaring the decision to dissolve the MDN illegal and null and void.
By
Fathmath Ahmed Shareef
Founders of the now-dissolved Maldivian Democracy Network (MDN) has approached the High Court after they failed to win a civil suit over the dissolution of the organisation for publishing an anti-Islamic report.
The non-governmental organisation (NGO), registered with the home ministry on 8 June 2016, was dissolved by the youth ministry on 19 December 2019.
The association was dissolved after a 2016 report titled, Preliminary Assessment of Radicalisation in Maldives, was alleged to have insulted religion.
When the MDN was dissolved:
-
September 16, 2020 - The association's Executive Director Shahinda Ismail filed a case against the youth ministry in the Civil Court
-
March 28, 2023 - The Civil Court ruled that there was no basis for declaring the decision to dissolve the MDN illegal and null and void
Shahinda's lawyer has now filed a petition in the High Court against the Civil Court's decision.
According to the High Court registry, the case was filed with the court on July 3, but the court is yet to accept the case.
The lawsuit against the youth ministry says the association was dissolved illegally without giving it an opportunity to respond. Therefore, the court was asked to quash the decision.
The Civil Court ruled in March that the report published by the MDN contained statements against Islamic Sharia and insulted the religion and the prophet.
According to the verdict:
-
The police conducted a study of the report through three religious scholars
-
The report states some things that are contrary to the Islamic faith, Sharia and Islam
-
The report and the letter sent to Shahinda on October 28, 2019 after the police investigated the report show that it contained matters that could adversely affect Muslims or create hatred and anger in the society
