Featured stories about Maldives
Stories about Maldives
A Judicial Coup? Maldives Court Orders Retrial and Immediate Release of Jailed Opposition Leaders
The Supreme Court of the Maldives ordered the immediate release of high-profile opposition leaders and ordered their retrials. This government has postponed the opening of this year's parliament session indefinitely.
Crisis in Maldives Parliament: Rejection of the ‘No-Confidence Motion’ Sparks Lockdown
The country is tilting toward authoritarianism as growing accusations mount against President Yameen for silencing dissent and imprisoning political opponents including former President Nasheed, under allegedly made up charges.
Police Threaten Maldivian Bloggers Abroad With Arrest Over Twitter
Four independent Maldivian bloggers and activists living overseas have been issued arrest warrants by police over the past week. Apparently, they were targeted because they promote secularism or secularists.
Maldives Blogger and Activist Yameen Rasheed Stabbed to Death
“So-called 'Paradise on Earth' has no public safety for it's citizens. Tomorrow, it could be me, you, or any of us," wrote a Facebook user.
Sudden Death of Aqua-Blue-Eyed Model Shocks Maldives
Raudha Athif, the 20-year-old aqua-blue-eyed Maldivian model, was found hanging inside her dormitory room in north Bangladesh on Wednesday. On social media, Maldivians are mourning the loss of this woman.
Maldivians Are Outraged Over a Rumored Deal to ‘Sell Off’ Faafu Atoll to Saudi Arabia
"Maldivians, today, are suffering the consequences of allowing political elites make decisions on our behalf without any accountability..."
Threatened With Suspension Over Its Rights Record, Maldives Up and Quits the Commonwealth
"Don't we as...citizens get a say in whether or not we want to be a part of the commonwealth? Or is Maldives just a one man country now".
Maldives Authorities Target Journalists After Al Jazeera Exposes $1.5 Billion Corruption Scandal
President Yameen and his associates embezzled millions of dollars, bribed judges and other high-level officials, and used influence to remove government workers who stood in their way.
Maldives Opposition Holds Rally Despite Resistance From Government
"Under the plan for reform, Yameen is making criticism a crime..."
Maldives Media Crackdown Triggers Forced Newspaper Closure, Journalist Arrests
Riot police used brute force and pepper spray and strip-searched both male and female journalists, who hailed from several local media organizations.
Basic Rights Suspended as Maldives Declares State of Emergency for 30 Days
"Foreign observers should know about #Maldives: 1) There were never any IEDs. It's a #ManufacturedCrisis 2) There was never a democracy"
Overturning Lower Court, Maldives Supreme Court Saves Convicted Adulteress From Being Stoned to Death
The Maldives' Supreme Court has acted swiftly to overturn an island court's decision to execute a woman for adultery. The woman had been sentenced to be stoned to death.
Maldivians March to Mark Anniversary of Local Journalist's Disappearance
"To demand action and accountability from the state, Rilwan’s well-wishers started the #FindMoyameehaa campaign – the first of its kind in the Maldives."
“They Can't Take Our Flag!”: Madagascar Outraged at 2015 Indian Ocean Games
The 2015 Indian Ocean Island Games in Réunion have been plagued by incidents which escalated into a diplomatic row between Madagascar and France.
What Is Really Wrong With Policing in Maldives?
Blogger Kureege Fuluheh is a Maldivian ex-police officer, who writes about issues in policing and the police service in Maldives. The blogger analyses how the Maldives Police Service (MPS) is perceived by people over the last seven years and discusses what is the way forward: Worrying is police’ behaviour towards members...
Updates on the 18th SAARC Summit On Social Media
The ongoing summit of the The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) was covered by international media with different perspectives. However non-official initiatives such as 18th SAARC Summit blog, Facebook account, Twitter and Google+ account are aggregating updates on the summit for easy archiving. Here are some examples: This...
There's an Island Made of Toxic Trash Rising Out of the Sea in the Maldives
Used batteries, asbestos, lead and other potentially hazardous waste dumped at Thilafushi island are seeping into the water, but environmental concerns have never materialized into a campaign by local activists.
SMS Death Threats Stoke Fears on Fate of Abducted Journalist in Maldives
The messages came just days before the unexplained disappearance of journalist and democracy advocate Ahmed Rizwan Abdulla.
Journalist and Democracy Advocate Ahmed Rizwan Abdulla Missing in the Maldives
The prolific social media user is vocal against hatred in the name of religion and has not been shy about criticizing the Maldives Islamist Adhaalath Party and other political parties.
How to Stop the Dhivehi Language From Dying
Dhivehi, the national language of Maldives, is a pidgin language spoken primarily by the Maldivians. However, practically every Maldivian speaks English, the unofficial second language, because it’s the language used in Maldivian school curricula. Lack of proper language standards is impeding the growth of Dhivehi. Aishath Khashia at Work of...
Homosexual Asylum Seekers from The Maldives Face Prosecution Upon Return
Same-sex relationships, civil unions, or domestic partnerships are illegal in the Maldives under Sharia law and there are several cases of prosecution against persons of same-sex orientation. Ibrahim Muaz, a spokesman at the President’s Office recently said that Maldivians seeking asylum abroad on grounds of religion or sexuality can be...
