Guantanamo Bay Detainees Relocating to Maldives

Haveeru
Legal advice given over “relocation” of Guantanamo Bay detainees: AG
MALE, May 13, 2010 (HNS) – The Maldives and United States first negotiated on transferring inmates held at Guantanamo Bay Detainment Facility last November. Guantanamo Bay’s Director visited Maldives and asked President Mohamed Nasheed to take in three Chinese Muslims. President Nasheed, however, did not agree to the proposal at that time and said legal procedures and political situation have to be considered.
President has not commented on the matter officially. However on a trip to Haa Alifu Maarendhoo in December to mark the International Human Rights Day, he said Maldives would have an open mind about Guantanamo Bay inmates rejected by their own countries once the US shuts the prison. The President in his weekly radio address of December 11 also signalled an “open mind” about Guantanamo Bay detainees.
“I wish to tell all the people that the Maldives would assist all those Muslims released from prisons without a conviction, if they do not have a place to say. We do not want anyone to experience torture. While the Maldives’ extending a helping hand to three of those detainees will not eliminate inhumane acts from the Maldives or the world, [helping the detainees] will be a symbolic gesture,” he said.
The government did not reveal any details of transferring Guantanamo Bay inmates to Maldives or mention a related legal framework until Monday and the matter, however, did not come up until Thoddu MP Ali Waheed, also Deputy Leader of the opposition Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) submitted a case to parliamentary National Security Committee on Tuesday, claiming that the government was planning to bring in Guantanamo Bay inmates under an agreement between the Maldives and United States.
President’s Press Secretary Mohamed Zuhair denied the accusations saying the US and Maldives had no official talks on a Guantanamo Bay transfer. Speaking to Haveeru, he also denied Attorney General’s Office was formulating a legal framework.
But Attorney General Husnu Suood told Haveeru on Thursday he had given legal advice on the matter in May, on Foreign Ministry’s request. He, however, refused to disclose his opinion saying it would be “unethical” to reveal it without notifying the Foreign Ministry.

Although the government initially denied Ali Waheed’s accusations, Press Secretary Zuhair later admitted that Maldives and US “might have exchanged such documents.” But, speaking to Haveeru on Thursday, Zuhair mainly attempted to show Ali Waheed’s move was illegal.
“A political party’s leader is admitting that he has secured documents belonging to the government. He used civil servants for that. So there would not be any way that we can consider illegally secured documents as valid, right? Can we consider them as authentic?” he said.
“We do not believe that considering a Guantanamo Bay transfer is a secret. The President had signalled that in his radio address and in his speech during the visit to Maarandhoo. So this is not happening underhanded.”
Haveeru was unable to get a comment of Foreign Minister Dr Ahmed Shaheed Thursday, as he was not available on the phone.
Meanwhile, former Legal Reform Minister Mohamed Nasheed, also Kulhudhuffushi-South MP claimed on his blog the US Embassy in Colombo/Sri Lanka sent a three-page diplomatic note to the Foreign Minister in February.
Referring to the note, he wrote “once the government confirms that both the governments have agreed on the elements of the note, it can be considered that some inmates of Guantanamo Bay would resettle in Maldives.”