• Press Release

Killing of Maldivian Parliament Member “Shocking Act of Violence”

October 2, 2012

"Political actors must show restraint and ensure that this killing does not lead to more violence"

Contact: Sharon Singh, [email protected], 202-675-8579

(Washington D.C.) — Amnesty International condemns the killing of Dr. Afrasheem Ali, who was stabbed to death outside his home in the capital of the Maldives, Malé, early in the morning of Tuesday, October 1. Circumstances around the killing are still unclear, and local authorities have yet to identify a suspect.

The death of Dr. Afrasheem Ali, a member of Parliament for the government-aligned Progressive Party of the Maldives, comes at a time of political turmoil on the island nation, with former President Mohamad Nasheed set to face trial for his alleged role in the arrest of a judge.

“Amnesty International condemns this shocking act of violence against Dr. Afrasheem Ali,” said Abbas Faiz, researcher on the Maldives for the human rights organization.

“We call on the Maldives authorities to ensure that the investigation into the killing meets international human rights standards, and that no suspect is ill-treated or tortured," Faiz said. "Given the current tense climate in the Maldives, all political actors must show restraint and ensure that this killing does not lead to more violence.”

On September 5, 2012, Amnesty International published The other side of paradise: A human rights crisis in the Maldives, a report documenting human rights violations by security forces against protesters during 2012.

Amnesty International is a Nobel Peace Prize-winning grassroots activist organization with more than 3 million supporters, activists and volunteers in more than 150 countries campaigning for human rights worldwide. The organization investigates and exposes abuses, educates and mobilizes the public, and works to protect people wherever justice, freedom, truth and dignity are denied.