Haveery Daily News Article 18 April 2005
http://www.haveeru.com.mv/?page=details&cat=urwbwK&id=24661
Quick Translation
Five-Member Committee Proposed to Investigate Treatment of Detainees in Jail
18 April 2005
Ahmed Zahir (Hirigaa)
Raa Atoll Member Shaeed Zaki proposed to set up a temporary committee to
investigate the treatment by the security personnel, of those accused of
different offenses detained for investigations and those detained in jail to
serve sentences passed on by the courts. Alif Alif Member Ahmed Zubeir seconded
the proposal.
Relating to the motion tabled by Male’ Member Ibrahim Ismail to investigate the
treatment of detainees in jail by the detaining authorities, the Member for Raa
Atoll said that he was proposing for the compilation of a report that
recommended measures to be taken now and in the future for the protection of
human rights and legal rights of detainees. However because many members were in
line to deliberate on the issue, a vote on the proposal was not called by the
time today’s sitting ended. In the sitting today about 15 people including
ministers deliberated on this Motion Without Notice of the Member from Male’. In
their deliberations they marked that the issue of abuse in jail was perpetuated
as a traditional practice carried on from the past and marked that the issue
necessitated a solution.
Some members pointed out that meting out inappropriate punishments for some
offenses had resulted in some people turning into major criminals; that the
narrow opportunity given for those serving sentences to come out of jail
resulted in the increase of the number of offenders and that it was a problem
that there was no parole system for offenders to reintegrate into society.
The Attorney General, Dr Hassan Saeed said 80 percent of those held in the jail
were detained due to drug offenses and Daal Atoll Member Ahmed Shiyam said among
them 30 percent was detained due to drug dealing.
Some also stated that it was an issue that the majority of the jail population
was under 35 years.
Shiyam said that sentencing people for life for possessing one gram of narcotics
was a serious issue of concern. He said a quantity of one gram was a very small
amount and that life sentences should not be passed for possessing such a small
quantity of drugs. This point was brought to attention by many members in
today’s sitting.
Some also pointed out that abuse in jail was being encountered because the
detaining authorities did not receive proper training. Dr Hassan Saeed said a
programme will shortly commence on training detaining authorities jointly with
the Malaysian Police Academy.
Some members also pointed out that committees set up by the government to
investigate various issues did not produce practical results. That the committee
set up to investigate a case of breach of trust by the former Fisheries Project
Implementation Department (FPID) compiled a report but later there was no trace
of it, Lhaviyani Atoll Member Ibrahim Mohamed Solih marked.
Ends
For translation of Ibrahim Ismail’s motion please see
http://www.maldiviandetainees.net/PressReports/FastMotionSubmittedToThePeoplesMajlis.htm