In the “moon light” constitution of Maldives there was a very dangerous article. That article is, article 38 which is a sedition law.
According to this article, if anything you do leads a third person to hate the government in anyway including smiling, looking even, you will get a jail sentence between 6 to 10 years or banishment.
Under this article, whoever the government wants to convict gets convicted. Even if the way you smile or stare at someone, leads another person to hate the government, then you get convicted. Many people were punished like this.
One person who was sentenced for 10 years was Sikka Muhammad Ismail Manik. Even I was sentenced to jail for 6 years and 10 months. Seena Zahir, the former MP and Speaker of Parilament played a huge role in removing this article from the constitution.
Once the current constitution came into effect, the fear of article 38 was gone. However, now there is a new fear. That fear is specially upon senior opposition figures in the parliament. That fear, is accusing them of bribing other parliament members. Qasim Ibrahim has been arrested for allegedly bribing parliament members. Farish Maumoon’s investigation has also started. Who is next? and how many more ?
“Bribing parliament members” – the new article 38?
