New Delhi: In response to the letter from the Asian Centre for Human Rights (ACHR) on 26 June 2015 concerning the ruling of the Supreme Court of the Maldives against five members of the Human Rights Commission on the unlawfulness of the written submission of the Human Rights Commission of the Maldives (HRCM) to the Second Universal Periodic Review, President of the UN Human Rights Council H.E. Mr Joachim Ruecker today i.e. 29 June 2015 wrote to Mr Suhas Chakma, Director of the ACHR assuring that he “will continue to closely follow this case, continue the dialogue with the Government of the Maldives, as Member State of the Human Rights Council, and stand ready to take appropriate actions within his mandate”.
President Joachim Ruecker further informed the ACHR that “with a view to ensuring that the Commission (HRCM) can cooperate with the Human Rights Council, its mechanisms and procedures without being subjected to intimidation or reprisals”, he has “raised this matter in the Human Rights Council on 26 June 2015, and had previously discussed it at a Bureau meeting with the Vice-Presidents”.
Welcoming the assurance and actions already taken by UN Human Rights Council President Mr Joachim Ruecker, Mr Suhas Chakma stated, “I call upon President Abdullah Yameen of the Maldives to place a new bill in the parliament to rescind the judgement of the Supreme Court of the Maldives against the HRCM before the end of the ongoing UN Human Rights Council. This is absolutely possible considering the speed under which the Government of Maldives has recently enacted the law to impose age bar on Presidential candidates and further measures being taken to expedite the impeachment of Vice President Dr Mohamed Jameel Ahmed. If President Yameen shows the same commitment for the rule of law and strengthening the democracy, there shall not be any cause of action by the President of the UN Human Rights Council.” Ends
