Protests by police officers to be criminalized

Parliament’s National Security Services Committee has made the decision to add provisions to the Police Bill to make all forms of protest by police officers punishable criminal offenses.

The Security Services Committee made the decision following an inquiry into the assault of a suspect during a drug raid on M. Ujaalaage in Male’ in 2019, which led to the suspension of seven police officers involved.

The Security Services Committee noted in its inquiry report that the police officers involved changed their Facebook profile pictures to black to protest their suspension.

“This protest was to express anger at the decision to take action against police officers for committing a criminal offense,” reads the report.

Security Services Committee said that the police officers involved in the protest, when questioned, admitted their wrongdoing, but that no action was taken against them.

The Security Services Committee also said that though the National Integrity Commission stated that they had launched an investigation into the protest at the committee’s request, the NIC failed to conduct the investigation to the committee’s satisfaction, and failed to be properly accountable.

“Commissioner of Police and heads of Police Professional Command told the committee that the police officers who changed their Facebook profiles to black have changed them back to other colors and they therefore consider the issue resolved,” reads the report.

“PROTEST PUTS THE WHOLE INSTITUTION AT RISK”

Security Services Committee wrote in their report that such forms of protest by police officers puts the whole police institution at risk, and that it is therefore important to criminalize it to prevent such protests.

The committee passed a motion to add provisions to the Police Bill currently under review by the Parliament, to accommodate for immediate action against protesting police officers.

Security Services Committee expressed concern over lack of action against the police officers who were suspended for engaging in the protest.

“For the Parliament and all other relevant parties to expedite necessary work to include provisions in the Police Bill currently under the review to the Parliament to declare it a criminal offense for any officer of Maldives Police Service to carry out any act of protest or join in on any act of protest, establish appropriate speedy courses of action and penalties, expedite the penalties and the implementation,” reads the report.

The incident in question had taken place during a raid by the Drug Enforcement Department in M. Ujaalaage on July 5, 2019.

The seven DED officers were suspended for beating up one of two suspects arrested during the raid; a 36-year-old Bangladeshi male.

The assault was captured on camera from a neighboring residence, and the police officers involved were later accused of threatening civilians who recorded the incident.