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| Maagoodhoo Residents Relate Harrowing Accounts of Torture at the Hands of Former Atoll Chief 11 January 2006 The first hearing of Saddam Hussein, the former president of Iraq, was based on the killing of 140 villagers in Al-Dujail in 1982. In retaliation to disturbances created by one villager against Saddam Hussein, the whole village received his wrath. The case is now being tried in order to get justice for these villagers. In the same manner, after the fall of Maumoon in the Maldives, when those who were victimised by him come out to get justice, the people of Maagoodhoo island on Faafu atoll will be at the forefront pressing for the former president to be tried in open court, locals told Minivan's correspondent who visited the island today.
The following are extracts from an account Yousubey related about the events that took place in January 1999. 'By then,' he said, 'it was 98 years since Maagoodhoo was the capital of Faafu Atoll and the atoll chief was Zakariyaa Hameed, a close confidante of President Gayoom and a native of Feeali Island. The two had met when they were studying in Egypt.' Yousubey recounted that at that time Maagoodhoo had the atoll office, a library, the atoll school and a health centre. 'But Zakariyaa Hameed is not a native of Maagoodhoo. His sister Mariyam Hameedha was married to a native of Nilandhoo island. Zakariyaa's family members wanted the capital to be in Nilandhoo. In addition to this Zakariyaa's daughter was married to the then Education Minister, and the current Representative to the UN, Dr. Mohamed Latheef. Therefore, Zakariyaa had many connections to Gayoom's presidency.
'What had actually happened to him was that he was drunk and had crashed against a low wall, resulting in minor scratches to his chest', Yousubey said. 'As he was the atoll chief, a coastguard vessel was commissioned from Male' and he was taken there for treatment. 'It is believed that when Zakariyaa was taken to Male',' President Gayoom himself was there at the jetty to receive him. It is also believed that upon meeting the president Zakariyaa's agony had turned to anger. Zakariyaa declined medical attention for his injuries and reportedly requested from the president to change the capital of Faafu Atoll to Nilandhoo immediately. Following this request, within a matter of ten days, the capital and all administrative functions and other civil services were relocated to Nilandhoo.' According to Yousubey, ten NSS personnel arrived in Maagoodhoo to arrest those in island who were accused of attacking Zakariyaa. 'Maumoon's desire was to render collective punishment to the whole island where his closest friend had been attacked. In this manner, the NSS came down to Maagoodhoo and began to inflict torture on selected victims. They conducted this activity inside the Atoll Office. 'During this torture, each victim was asked who had attacked Zakariyaa. One of them was Mohamed Mumthaz of Athireege', who was twenty-five years old at that time. The NSS used an office chair to crush two toes in his foot, by rotating the chair and pushing down hard. His cries could be heard from outside. His mother was standing outside the office crying as she listened to her son scream. 'For further interrogation, eighteen men from Maagoodhoo were taken to Dhoonidhoo, via Nilandhoo. Those were the days when Adam Zahir carried out a reign of terror in Dhoonidhoo. The eighteen men received light and heavy torture there. Ibrahim Fikuree of Mushthareege, the assistant Island Chief was one of the victims. A hot iron was used to burn the undersides of his feet. His feet were burnt and swollen and the skin was peeling. 'This was not enough for the authorities, and they arrested nine more men from Maagoodhoo. In addition three women from the same house were taken to Male' and interrogated at the Police Headquarters. The NSS wanted their victims to sign confessions saying that the people of Maagoodhoo had conspired to attack Zakariyaa Hameed. No cases were taken to court, and 27 men were banished to different islands of the country. Their guilt was never established in a court of law. Most of these people were kept in jail for three to four months and spent more than a year in banishment before they were freed. During that period, as there were no men to earn an income a lot of families became destitute. One household had four male members banished. The mother of the household, with three of her sons and a grandson banished, passed away soon after – people say from shock. 'This whole thing was set up by Zakariyaa Hameed. Just to change the atoll office. Gayoom will never have the support of the people of Maagoodhoo. Seventy families in Maagoodhoo became victims of this scheme. He will never be forgiven. 'The people of Maagoodhoo are waiting for justice to be done for the inhumane punishments wrongfully inflicted upon them by Gayoom's militia.' See an earlier Maldives Culture reports and translations Events in Maagoodhoo island and Faafu atoll, west of Male', translated report 2002: Maagoodhoo islanders punished after jealous husband assaults atoll chief NSS assault on Naifaru island, Lhaviyani atoll, north of Male' in 2001: Maldives island revolt over satellite TV reception prompts amphibious assault by police and troops Escaped prisoner Ibrahim Luthfee confirms torture of Naifaru prisoners in Maafushi jail, 31 May 2003: Maafushi island brutality creating 'explosive situation' in Maldives says escaped political prisoner top |
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Editors and translators: Michael O'Shea and Fareesha Abdulla, Australia
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