Amnesty calls on Maldives govt. to grant former VP Adeeb medical care

Amnesty International has called upon the government of the Maldives to grant former Vice President Ahmed Adeeb, who is currently in custody, access to medical care as and when necessary. 

Ahmed Adeeb suffers from several ongoing health conditions. Arrested in 2015, for what was believed to be politically-motivated charges, his convictions were overturned last year and other charges against him were dropped in July. Local media outlets have reported that the Prosecutor General submitted the case for appeal and accordingly, Adeeb was taken into custody again on 24 July, following an order by the high court, raising further concerns about his wellbeing. He is suffering from a number of serious health issues, including glaucoma, kidney stones, sleep apnoea, internal cysts, and syncopal attacks.

In its letter to Maldivian President Ibrahim Solih, Amnesty International has expressed serious concern about the situation of former Vice President Ahmed Adeeb, who is again facing trial for charges that were recently deemed unlawful. 

While the criminal court dropped all charges against Adeeb on 14 July, following an order by the high court on 24 July, Adeeb is once again being detained, with the future trial date as yet unknown. Given that Adeeb’s medical concerns are unable to be treated in the Maldives, his legal team first filed a request with the Maldives Correctional Services in 2016 to allow him to travel abroad to seek specialised treatment. 

That and every subsequent request for additional treatment during the previous administration were denied. The current administration allowed Adeeb to travel abroad to seek specialised treatment once as medical specialists advised since the necessary treatment was and still is not available in the Maldives. Failing to provide adequate medical care to prisoners is a violation of the Maldives’ international human rights obligations, Amnesty International said.

As a state party to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, the Maldives is legally obliged to respect, promote, protect and fulfil “the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health”. The Prison and Parole Act of Maldives also guarantees adequate healthcare for prisoners. The severity of the situation needs to be emphasised, especially due to prisons being considered dangerous hotspots for the spread of COVID-19. Therefore, The Maldivian President was urged to ensure that Ahmed Adeeb is granted prompt, regular and unrestricted access to medical care on request or as necessary.