36th Session, November 4, 2020
Read by Meryn Schneiderhan
The United States welcomes the Maldivian delegation.
The United States recommends that Maldives:
1. Enforce the registration of short-term detainees, define “probable and reasonable grounds” for arrest procedures within the Anti-Terrorism Act, and resolve overcrowding, poor ventilation, and inadequate health standards in its prisons.
2. Ensure human rights defenders and non-governmental organizations are able to operate without undue interference and fear of reprisals.
3. Institutionalize adequate training and strengthen the independence of the Judicial Service Commission to eliminate corruption and increase fairness of judicial proceedings.
We call upon the Government of Maldives to protect fundamental freedoms, particularly freedoms of assembly and belief. The presence of an active and free civil society is necessary to secure democratic progress in Maldives.