Malé, Maldives – Malé City Council has called for the release of the city’s Deputy Mayor Ahmed Nareesh, who was arrested during the “Neyvaaholhiah” protest led by the opposition coalition.
In a statement, the council claimed that Nareesh’s arrest was unlawful, as Nareesh remains held in remand as per a court order.
“Malé City Council believes that this is a deliberate act to diminish the fundamental right to freedom of speech granted by the constitution, as well as to undermine the authority and voice of an individual who acts as a representative of the public. We also believe that this is not something that should happen during a democratic environment. Therefore, Malé City Council calls for the release of Deputy Mayor Ahmed Nareesh,” the statement read.
Nareesh was arrested on Friday afternoon before the protests even began. While several other members of the coalition protest were also arrested including sitting and former Members of the Parliament, the sitting members were released with conditions.
Currently there are 9 participants of the protest held in remand.
