Around 200 inmates have submitted a petition to President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih asking for clemency for the abuse they have endured in prison.
The petition signed by 198 inmates states that they had before shared concerns about abuse in the prisons with the President, Speaker of the Parliament, and top government officials but were ignored.
The Petition had also questioned how the government viewed the infringement of human rights and further accused the media of distorting public opinion on the matter.
It also said that the Human Rights Commission of the Maldives along with the UN Working Group on Arbitrary detention have also highlighted that inmates in the Maldives have been denied their rights.
The inmates further said that they want to take their abusers to court and that they don't want to repeat the atrocities that have happened in the prisons in the country's history.
Some of the claims included in the petition include;
- Denying of fundamental rights
- Commissioner failing in responsibilities
- Deteriorated health care facilities
- Sentencing being carried out for repealed laws
- Long overdue parole clemency decisions
- Inmates prisoned for drug abuse charges not given appropriate treatment
- Issues with food given to inmates
The inmates have forwarded a copy of the petition to the speaker of the Parliament along with the Home Minister, Attorney General's office PG Office, HRCM.
