On Thursday 15 March, the European Parliament backed the adoption of measures against the Maldives, which is currently in a state of emergency.
A common resolution of the Greens/EFA, EFDD, ECR, EPP, GUE/NGL, ALDE and S&D Groups invites the Council to take measures and targeted sanctions against people undermining human rights in the country, and to freeze assets and issue visa bans for certain members of the Maldives government and their main supporters in the country’s business community. At the end of February, the Council threatened to take such measures if the situation did not improve (see EUROPE 11969).
The MEPs also ask the EU to make full use of all its instruments to encourage respect of human rights and democracy in the Maldives including, where necessary, suspension of financial aid to the country while awaiting the restoration of the rule of law and respect for democratic principles.
The Maldives government is urged by the MEPs to lift the state of emergency immediately and to respect institutions and fundamental rights for all, particularly the right of free speech and the right of assembly, along with the rule of law. They draw up a long list of criticisms, particularly of acts of intimidation and threats against journalists, bloggers and defenders of human rights and the repression suffered by political opponents. The MEPs also call on the government to drop all charges against anyone detained for political reasons and to release them immediately and unconditionally. They want the authorities to respect the ruling of the Maldives Supreme Court of 1 February 2018 cancelling the penal proceedings against leading political figures (see EUROPE 11953) and carry out a large-scale reform of the judicial system.
Moreover, while elections are planned later this year, the MEPs say measures should be taken immediately to ensure that the elections are transparent and credible and offer a real choice to voters, and that political parties are able to campaign freely. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)