The family of a Yemeni national, who was arrested and detained in Maldives since last year, has expressed concerns stating that he is deprived of his rights.
A teacher, Yasir Yahyaa Salih, is married to a local woman and was living in Maldives when he was arrested and detained without any trial or charges.
At the time of his arrest under a court order, the police stated that he would be handed over to Immigration to be deported.
However, he is currently in Hulhumale Detention Center under the custody of Maldives Correctional Services.
According to a statement released by Salih’s wife, he is in solitary detention and, thus, is mentally very weak. She also said that the guards handcuffed him each time he was brought out of his cell.
While the cell her husband is kept in is hot, various works are being done around the area while he is in the cell, causing him to have breathing problems, as per Salih's wife.
"Prison officers use abusive language and make other inmates abuse him. We have complained about these issues multiple times to Maldives Correctional Services and Maldives Immigration," Salih's wife detailed in the statement.
Additionally, she accused the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Maldives Police Service and Immigration of taking Salih's statements without informing his family or lawyers. Moreover, the statement claimed that Salih was being threatened, and his wife accused Immigration of cancelling his visa and trying to send Salih and his family to war-torn Yemen.
The statement also revealed that since his arrest, Salih has not been allowed to meet with his family alone. Salih's wife further claimed that the authorities have also been holding up the monthly family meeting and phone calls without stating any reasons.
The spokesperson for Correctional Services, Ahmed Luqman stated that no one kept under the care of Maldives Correctional Services would be treated inhumanely. He added that they have been treating Salih as per the regulations.
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