MALDIVE: Former President Nasheed to be charged over arrest of Criminal Court Chief Judge.

The Maldives Police Service has today sent the case of the arrest of Criminal Court Chief Judge Abdullah Mohamed to the Prosecutor General’s Office.

Minivan News understands that under the submitted case, Former President Mohamed Nasheed is expected to face charges for his alleged role in ordering the detention of the judge earlier this year.

The country’s judges and their conduct became a major focus for former President Nasheed in the run up to him being replaced by Dr Waheed in February, leading to eventual calls for international assistance on the matter.

Nasheed had at the time raised concerns over allegations of perjury and “increasingly blatant collusion” between senior judicial figures and politicians loyal to the former autocratic President, Maumoon Abdul Gayoom.

http://minivannews.com/politics/former-president-nasheed-to-be-charged-over-arrest-of-criminal-court-chief-judge-35492

Nepal Government is committed for safer Migration: Labour Minister.

Newly appointed Minister for Labour and Transport Management of Nepal Malbar Singh (MS) Thapa said that he is committed to ensure protection of Nepalese Migrants going abroad for work. "I am exploring the issues now and will take concrete action soon", the Minister said at a meeting with Amnesty International (AI) on 29th March 2012.

In the meeting, Robert Godden, Asia Pacific Campaign Coordinator of Amnesty International asked the government to implement AI's recommendations for the protection of Nepalese Migrants. He also handed over the AI's latest report ‘False Promises: Exploitation and Forced Labour of Nepalese Migrant Workers’ to the minister.

On the occasion, Rameshwar Nepal, Director of Amnesty International Nepal informed to the Minister about AI Nepal's nationwide campaign to raise awareness on rights of the Nepalese migrant workers. The awareness program what Amnesty International named "migrant workers caravan" launched on 21 March 2012 which, in the first phase, travelled in Jhapa, Sunsari, Mahottari and Makanpur districts. The caravan will travel to more districts soon.

http://amnestynepal.org/campaigns/ai-nepal-activities/nepal-government-is-committed-for-safer-migration:-labour-minister.html

Maldives must investigate sexual harassment of detained women protesters.

http://www.amnesty.org/en/news/maldives-must-investigate-sexual-harassment-detained-women-protesters-2012-03-28

Maldives authorities must immediately investigate allegations that police beat and sexually harassed four women detained during an anti-government rally, Amnesty International said.

According to testimony gathered by Amnesty International, the women, who were arrested on 19 March, were beaten during and after their arrest.

While in detention they were forced to undergo naked body checks on the spurious suspicion of concealing drugs in their genitals. They were forced to strip and squat several times while in prison.

"The Maldives has an image as a luxury holiday destination, and over the past few years, it had established a positive track record on human rights. But the fact is at the moment, not only is repression of peaceful political protest an everyday reality, it has taken an appalling new twist with this cruel and degrading treatment," said Amnesty International's Maldives researcher Abbas Faiz.

"The government of Maldives must ensure that these allegations are investigated and that those found to be responsible are brought to justice.

"The beating and sexual harassment of political detainees under the pretext that they are suspected of possessing drugs must end. None of the four women detainees had been arrested on that suspicion so there was no justification for the searches."

The rally on 19 March was organized by the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) to protest about the opening of parliament where the new President, Dr Waheed was to give a speech.

Protests have continued in the capital Malé and other cities since 7 February in support of former president, Mohamed Nasheed who was ousted after a police and military mutiny.

There is no indication that the women protesters were involved in any acts of violence during the rally. Their detention therefore was arbitrary.

Cases of molestation and other humiliating sexual acts against women have been reported in the past, but these latest allegations highlight a new police drive to suppress political activity under the pretext of body searching female detainees for alleged possession of drugs.

Maldives police has denied the allegations and said those aggrieved should ask Maldives Human Rights Commission (MHRC) to investigate their allegations.

But the MHRC has told Amnesty International that they have serious limitations in terms of trained investigative staff and dealing with human rights issues in a highly politicized environment is an overwhelming challenge for them.

The MHRC has yet to complete investigations into the alleged sexual harassment of female detainees in 2004.

"By referring cases of police abuse of power to the MHRC, when it is clear that such investigations are beyond its capacity, the government is in effect forfeiting its own responsibility to enforce respect for human rights within the police force," said Abbas Faiz

"This is the wrong message to give to the police as it will encourage police officers to violate human rights with impunity. The Maldives government must ensure that the right to freedom of assembly and expression is protected at all times."

Case testimonies

Yusra Hussein, 22, told Amnesty International that four women police officers arrested her around lunch time on 19 March, near the Maldivian Democratic Party offices. She said: "They beat me as they handcuffed me. They beat me on my stomach, which was very painful as I had had a caesarean section in the past. They grabbed my breasts and twisted them."

They then took her from the police station to the Dhoonidoo detention centre, on an island about 5km north-west of Malé.

"They beat me there with electric cables. I still have marks of their beating on my body. They then forced me to strip naked and made me squat on the floor. They took a urine test and did a body check on me.

"They forced me to sit in that position for a body check several times. Each time I felt sick but they paid no attention. They just wanted to humiliate me as they were shouting filthy words at me all the while."

Aishath Muna, said police arrested her after she had taken another female protester to hospital. Police had pepper sprayed the protester and she had been feeling sick. When Aishath Muna returned to the MDP offices, two policewomen arrested her. She said the handcuffs which they used on her were very tight. She complained but they took no notice. She was then taken to Dhoonidhoo detention centre where she was forced to take off her clothes and undergo a body check.

Mariyam Waheeda, 44, told Amnesty International that two women police officers who detained her on 19 March beat her and dragged her along the floor. They grabbed her breasts and twisted them while handcuffing her. She said they took her to the police station and only released her after she convinced them she had not taken part in the protest rallies.

Aishath Aniya said she had been forced to undergo a urine test, was made to take off her T shirt, bra and jeans, and was told to squat three times.

Maldives - Hopes of victims renewed as parliament passes domestic violence bill.

By Hawwa Lubna 

The Maldives parliament yesterday passed a much awaited Domestic Violence Bill which for the first time will provide legal provisions to protect victims from domestic abuse through protective orders and improved monitoring mechanisms.

http://minivannews.com/politics/hopes-of-victims-renewed-as-parliament-passes-domestic-violence-bill-35040

India: Further information: Release Tamil Nadu nuclear plant protestors.

URGENT ACTION

RElease tamil nadu nuclear plant protestors
Of the 180 people detained in March for protesting against a nuclear power plant project in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu , 148 have been released on bail. While 25 more may be released on bail during the next few days, seven others are likely to remain in jail.

On 27 March, following talks with the Tamil Nadu authorities, 15 protestors belonging to the People’s Movement against Nuclear Energy (PMANE) led by teacher Dr S P Udayakumar called off their eight-day fast. They had been fasting in protest against plans for commissioning a Russian-built nuclear power plant next to the coastal village of Kudankulam. However, protestors at Idinthakarai village began a relay fast on 28 March which is ongoing. The protests were organized because local people felt that the nuclear plant would pose a danger to the health of local communities. The site will affect at least 15,000 people living nearby.

Many of the 180 protestors who were detained in March, including members of PMANE, have been charged with sedition and of "waging war against the state", and if convicted, they could face sentences as high as life imprisonment. Some have been charged with "conspiracy" and "rioting with deadly weapons".

Amnesty International believes the charges against these 180 protestors are false, and constitute a deliberate attempt by the authorities to silence the protests, which have been peaceful.

Dr S P Udayakumar has said that the expert panel established by the Indian authorities has failed to respond satisfactorily to several site and safety concerns raised by an independent group of experts. On 30 March, his home in nearby Nagercoil town was searched by officials belonging to the Ministry of Home Affairs, who examined records relating to funding of a school run by his family. He has told Amnesty International that the police had resorted to harassing shopkeepers who shut up their shops in solidarity with the protestors.

Please write immediately in English or your own language:

Calling on the authorities to release all remaining peaceful protestors immediately, and drop the false charges against them;

Calling on the authorities to put an immediate end to the harassment of those resorting to peaceful protests at Idinthakarai and other coastal villages, and respect the protestors' rights to freedom of expression and freedom of assembly, in accordance with international law.

P LEASE SEND APPEALS BEFORE 22 MAY 2012 TO :

Prime Minister of India

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh

South Block, Raisina Hill

New Delhi 110 00, India

Fax: +91 11 2301 7931

Email: Through website:

http://pmindia.nic.in/feedback.php

Salutation: Dear Prime Minister

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister

Ms.J Jayalalitha

Fort St George

Chennai 600 009

India

Email: cmcell@tn.gov.in

Salutation: Dear Chief Minister

Solidarity messages may be sent to:

Dr S P Udayakumar

People’s Movement against Nuclear Energy

Idinthakarai PO 627104

Tamil Nadu

India

E-mail: drspudayakumar@yahoo.com

Also send copies to diplomatic representatives accredited to your country. Please insert local diplomatic addresses below:

Name Address 1 Address 2 Address 3 Fax Fax number Email Email address Salutation Salutation

Please check with your section office if sending appeals after the above date. This is the third update of UA 367/11. Further information: http://amnesty.org/en/library/info/ASA20/009/2012/en

http://www.amnesty.org/en/library/asset/ASA20/016/2012/en/d5a3ecd7-6d9f-47ed-bdee-0fba652bbbde/asa200162012en.html

Afghanistan-US prison transfer gets go-ahead despite torture risks.

A deal that will see US forces handing over Bagram detainees to the Afghan government fails to respect the rights of captives,  leaving them at risk of  torture and other mistreatment, Amnesty International has warned.

The agreement is padded by diplomatic assurances over detainee welfare, with some reference to access for monitoring by unspecified humanitarian bodies, but such assurances are inherently deficient and unacceptable when it comes to dealing effectively with risks of torture and other deliberate abuse of detainees.

In reality torture and ill-treatment of detainees remains endemic, as evidenced by a March 2012 report by the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission updating findings reported by the UN in 2011.

It will take six months to complete the transfer of detainees - which is being overseen by General Farooq Barkzai appointed commander of the Bagram detention facility by President Hamid Karzai on 1 April. More than 3000 detainees reportedly remain in the Bagram detention facility at Parwan, the majority of them Afghan.

The process comes against the backdrop of a UN report published on 10 October 2011 which found systematic torture in Afghan detention centres where detainees were regularly beaten with rubber hoses and threatened with sexual assault. Many of those targeted were suspected of being insurgents.

For nearly a decade  Amnesty International has raised concerns that the system of detention without trial operated by the USA in Afghanistan was arbitrary, and argued the ordinary criminal justice system, subject to fundamental reforms, should be used to deal with individuals accused of involvement in armed violence in Afghanistan.

Fundamental reforms are essential because the Afghan justice system still flagrantly fails to meet international fair trial standards and fails to ensure that individuals responsible for crimes under international law, - particularly those committed against civilians - are effectively brought to justice.

“The Afghan government has failed in the past to protect detainees in its custody from torture, inhuman, degrading and ill-treatment,” said Catherine Baber, Amnesty International’s Deputy Program Director for Asia.

“Afghanistan’s intelligence agency, the National Security Directorate (NDS) is notorious when it comes to human rights abuses and torture of detainees accused of affiliation with the Taliban and the wider insurgency in Afghanistan.”

For the USA or any other foreign forces to hand detainees over to Afghan custody despite these risks of human rights violations is itself a specific violation of their own obligations under international human rights and humanitarian law.

“No transfer of detainees should take place until there is real proof from the Afghan authorities that they are actually meeting human rights benchmarks, not merely promising to do so”.

“This agreement is all the more worrisome given we are talking about specific and real risks of torture. All detainees, including those held by the NDS, should have access to lawyers and family and receive medical treatment where needed,” said Baber. 

“The US and Afghan governments are both responsible for making sure that the rights of all security detainees are really respected in practice, before doing deals for the handover of control over any prisons or prisoners.”

http://www.amnesty.org/en/news/afghanistan-us-prison-transfer-gets-go-ahead-despite-torture-risks-2012-05-04

INDIA - Tamil Nadu doctor no longer at risk: Dr V Pugazhendhi.

TAMIL NADU DOCTOR NO LONGER AT RISK

A community doctor from the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu, Dr V Pugazhendhi, who had warned people of the harmful effects of radiation from nuclear installations, now says he no longer faces a threat to his life from the police or the prospect of detention without charge.

The local police at the Tamil Nadu town of Puduppattinam, 50 km from Chennai city, had summoned Dr V Pugazhendhi and threatened that he would either be killed in a staged encounter with the police or detained for a year under the National Security Act (NSA) if he continued to highlight the harmful effects of radiation on the health of local communities.

Amnesty International believes that these threats were meant to silence his campaign demanding more information on the Kalpakkam and Kudankulam nuclear installations, and the strict enforcement of national and international safety standards.

Thanking Amnesty International for issuing the Urgent Action, Dr V Pugazhendhi said he was able to continue his campaign.

For more than two decades, Dr V Pugazhendhi has been highlighting the potential harmful effects on the health of local marginalized communities of radiation from India’s nuclear power plants and installations in Kalpakkam, a town near Puduppattinam. His surveys brought to light higher incidences of various types of cancer among the area's population and of genetic disorders among the area's children, including polydactyly (birth with additional fingers or toes). Dr V Pugazhendhi has said that such abnormalities are due to radiation releases which are above internationally accepted safety levels, constituting a violation of the local communities' right to health.

Dr V Pugazhendhi is also a part of a "people's expert panel" demanding more information on two Russian-built nuclear power plants at Kudankulam, 450 km south of Chennai city, against which local communities have now been protesting peacefully for seven months.

No further action is requested from the UA network. Many thanks to all who sent appeals.

http://www.amnesty.org/en/library/asset/ASA20/015/2012/en/cdcbddfe-2ce7-4a8d-963b-04b8e13d9cac/asa200152012en.html