People's National Congress (PNC)'s President Abdul Raheem Abdulla, on Saturday, revealed that the Maldives Police Service accused him of three violations in connection to the opposition protest held on January 27.
According to Abdul Raheem, the police accusations were related to obstruction of justice, trespassing on an area cordoned off by law enforcement and obstructing traffic flow during the protest.
However, the PNC president asserted that the police never restricted access to the area or formally ordered the halt of their activities before apprehending him.
Abdul Raheem was arrested along with PNC Vice President Ibrahim Shujau amid an opposition protest in front of Dharubaaruge which was initiated in response to Minister of Health Ahmed Naseem's refusal to sit down with the coalition to discuss their concerns regarding the COVID-19 vaccines donated by the Indian government earlier this month.
In a statement issued following the arrests, the opposition coalition of PNC and the Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) condemned the arrests and called for their immediate release.
The government has been heavily cracking down on opposition protests and gatherings throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, often citing their violations of the Health Protections Agency (HPA) guidelines.
However, the opposition has claimed that the state is using the COVID-19 pandemic to oppress the parties, and hinder their activities, including their campaign for the upcoming local council elections.
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