SHADOW REPORT On the INTERNATIONAL COVENANT ON CIVIL AND POLITICAL RIGHTS In response to the Maldives Initial State Report June 2012 Human Rights Commission of the Maldives Chapter: 1 Acronyms APF: Asia‐Pacific Forum of National Human Rights Institutions CAT: Convention against Torture and other Cruel, Inhumane or Degrading Treatment or Punishment CCPR: Committee on Civil and Political Rights DIE: Department of Immigration and Emigration DPRS: Department of Penitentiary and Rehabilitation Services DRP: Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party FCPD: Family and Child Protection Department FCSC: Family and Children Service Centre GER: Gross Enrolment Rate HPSN: Home for People with Special Needs HRCM: Human Rights Commission of the Maldives ICC: International Co‐ordination Committee of National Human Rights Institutions ICCPR: International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights ICJ: International Commission of Jurists ICPED: International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance Maldives ICPRMWF: International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and the Members of Their Families of ID: Identification cards IGMH: Indra Gandhi Memorial Hospital Commission ILO: International Labour Organization Rights JJU: Juvenile Justice Unit Human JSC: Judicial Services Commission LRA: Labour Relations Authority Chapter: 2 MBC: Maldives Broadcasting Corporation MDGs: Millennium Development Goals MDHS: The Maldives Demographic Health Survey MDP: Maldivian Democratic Party MJA: Maldives Journalist Association MMC: Maldives Media Council MMR: Maternal Mortality Ratio MNBC: Maldives National Broadcasting Corporation MNDF: Maldives National Defence Force MoE: Ministry of Education MoGFHR: Ministry of Gender, Family and Human Rights as of 2012 MoH: Ministry of Health and Family MPS: Maldives Police Service MRF: Maldivian Rufiyaa NER: Net Enrolment Rate NPM: National Preventive Mechanism NPM: National Preventive Mechanism OPCAT: Optional Protocol to the Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Maldives Degrading Treatment and Punishment the of PGO: Prosecutor General’s Office PIC: Police Integrity Commission Commission RTI: Right to Information Rights SEN: Special Education Needs TEAM: Tourism Employees Association of the Maldives Human TIP: Trafficking in Persons Report Chapter: 3 TVM: Television Maldives UDHR: Universal Declaration of Human Rights UNDP: United Nations Development Program UPR: Universal Periodic Review VAW: Violence against Women VOM: Voice of Maldives VTV: Vila Television WHO: World Health Organisation Maldives the of Commission Rights Human Chapter: 4 Introduction .................................................................................................................................................. 7 Article 3: Equal Rights of Men and Women ................................................................................................. 8 Existence of Gender Imparity in running for Public Offices ....................................................................... 8 Prevalence of Violence against Women (VAW) ...................................................................................... 10 Article 6‐ Right to Life ................................................................................................................................. 13 Right to Survival ...................................................................................................................................... 13 Increasing Violence ................................................................................................................................. 14 Enforcement of Death Penalty ................................................................................................................ 17 Article 7 – Prohibition of Torture & Article 10 –Conditions of Detention .................................................. 20 Prevalence of Corporal Punishment in Schools ....................................................................................... 20 Prevalence of Torture, Cruel or Inhuman Treatment at Detention Facilities .......................................... 21 Article 8: Prohibition of Slavery .................................................................................................................. 29 Existence of Practices Leading to Forced Labour .................................................................................... 29 Article 9, Arbitrary Arrest ............................................................................................................................ 35 Existence of Practices that leads to Arbitrary Arrest or Detention ......................................................... 35 Article 12: Freedom of Movement ............................................................................................................. 39 Hindrance to Free Movement ................................................................................................................. 39 Article 14: Equality before the Law & Article 26: Legal Protection of the Law ........................................... 40 Independence of Judiciary ....................................................................................................................... 40 Pending Important Legislation ................................................................................................................ 40 Interference and Influence ...................................................................................................................... 41 Non Abiding Court Rulings ...................................................................................................................... 42 Security of Members of Judiciary ............................................................................................................ 43 Competency ............................................................................................................................................ 43 Maldives the Transparency ........................................................................................................................................... 44 of Inconsistency ........................................................................................................................................... 45 Delays and Denials of Justice .................................................................................................................. 45 Prosecution and Enforcement of Judgment ............................................................................................ 46 Commission Openness of Court Proceedings to the Public ......................................................................................... 47 Rights Juvenile Justice System ............................................................................................................................ 47 Accessibility to Justice System ................................................................................................................. 48 Human Article 17: Right to Privacy .......................................................................................................................... 48 Communications Monitoring .................................................................................................................. 49 Chapter: 5 Intrusion into Private Life and Homes ..................................................................................................... 50 Honour and Reputation ........................................................................................................................... 50 Article 19: Freedom of Expression .............................................................................................................. 51 Access to Information ............................................................................................................................. 52 Censorship and Bias ................................................................................................................................ 53 Responsibility of Media ........................................................................................................................... 53 Attacks on Journalists and Media ........................................................................................................... 54 Article 21: Freedom of Assembly ................................................................................................................ 57 Hindrances to Peaceful Assembly ........................................................................................................... 57 Article 22 – Freedom of Association ........................................................................................................... 61 Operation of Associations ....................................................................................................................... 61 Establishment of Trade Unions and Challenges in exercising the right to Collective Bargaining ........... 61 Article 23‐ Family Rights ............................................................................................................................. 64 Occurrences of Unregistered Marriages ................................................................................................. 65 Article 24: Rights of the Child ....................................................................................................................