AG Usham: Freedom of Assembly Act will be revised

Attorney General Ahmed Usham told the Parliament on Wednesday that the administration will be revising the Freedom of Assembly Act, which, because of a 2016 amendment, severely restricts freedom of assembly in the Maldives.

Freedom of assembly is a fundamental right enshrined in the Maldivian Constitution.

But in 2016, the Parliament amended the Freedom of Assembly Act, banning political rallies in the Maldivian capital without prior written permission from the police. It was also stipulated that political rallies and gatherings may only be held in locations determined by the Home Ministry, which has designated only three locations for assemblies in Male’.

This 2016 amendment, which was made amid intense political turmoil during former President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom, remains in place, despite subsequent administrations promising to repeal it.

Usham, who attended a parliamentary sitting on Wednesday morning, was questioned about this contentious amendment by South Galolhu MP Meekail Ahmed Naseem, a lawmaker from the main opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP).

He referred to an old post Usham shared on social media platform X in which he had called for the repeal of the amendment, arguing that it is in contravention of the Constitution.

Meekail asked Usham whether the incumbent administration therefore plans to repeal it.

Usham responded that amending the Freedom of Assembly Act is in the administration’s legislative agenda, and that his office will therefore be drafting and submitting amendments to the Act.

But he did not provide any details regarding what the amendments would entail, including whether or not the 2016 amendment would be repealed.

Assemblies were previously only allowed at the Alimas Carnival area following the 2016 amendment. But the incumbent administration added two more locations to the Home Ministry’s list of designated locations for assemblies; the Rasfannu area and the Usfasgandu area.