New Delhi: Asian Centre for Human Rights today urged the President of the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC, Ambassador Mr Joachim Rücker of Germany to issue a “President’s Statement” on the situation of human rights in Maldives at the ongoing 29th Session of the UNHRC for the blatant violation of the UNHRC Resolution No. 24/24 of 9 October 2013 titled “Cooperation with the United Nations, its representatives and mechanisms in the field of human rights” by the Maldives. The President of the UNHRC is authorised to issue “President’s Statement” without voting at the UNHRC.
The UNHRC Resolution No. 24/24 of 9 October 2013, inter alia, strongly called upon all the Governments to prevent and refrain from all acts of intimidation or reprisal against those who seek or have cooperated with the United Nations, and to ensure accountability for any acts of intimidation or reprisal by ensuring impartial, prompt and thorough investigations of any alleged acts of intimidation or reprisal in order to bring the perpetrators to justice; and prevent the occurrence of such intimidation or reprisals.
Asian Centre for Human Rights stated that the judgement of the Supreme Court of Maldives in suo motu Case No. 2014/SC-SM/42 against the Human Rights Commission of the Maldives (HRCM) for submission to the Second Universal Periodic Review of the Maldives before the UNHRC constitutes a blatant violation of the UNHRC Resolution No. 24/24.
Asian Centre for Human Rights further stated that “The acts of reprisal against the Human Rights Commission of Maldives for cooperating with the UPR is unheard of and will set dangerous precedent across the world if the UNHRC and/or the President of the HRC fails to condemn. It has the potential to frighten the National Human Rights Institutions and encourage dictatorial regimes across the world to take such repressive measures to prohibit cooperation with the United Nations human rights mechanisms. Therefore, these acts must not be condoned by the UN Human Rights Council.”
“The President of the UN Human Rights Council also cannot remain a mute witness to such acts of reprisal by any government that too against a National Human Rights Institution established by a parliamentary Act.”- also asserted ACHR.
The President of the UN Human Rights Council has been urged to issue a “President’s Statement”, calling upon the Government of Maldives, inter alia, (1) to take measures to rescind the judgement of the Supreme Court in the Case No. 2014/SC-SM/42; (2) ensure accountability for acts of intimidation or reprisal by ensuring impartial, prompt and thorough investigations of any alleged acts of intimidation or reprisal in order to bring the perpetrators i.e. judges of the Supreme Court who initiated the suo motu proceedings against the HRCM, to justice; (3) prevent the occurrence of such intimidation or reprisals; and (4) inform the UN Human Rights Council at its 30th Session to be held from 14 September – 2 October 2015 about the measures taken to comply with UN Human Rights Council Resolution No. 24/24 of 9 October 2013.
Copy of the letter to the President of the UN Human Rights Council is given below and the hard copy is available at http://www.achrweb.org/countries/Maldives/Letter-to-President-of-UN-HRC.pdf
