Parliament Endorses Mohamed Shafeeq for HRCM Appointment

Parliament has endorsed Mohamed Shafeeq Mahmood for appointment to the Human Rights Commission of the Maldives (HRCM), with 60 MPs voting in favour during Monday’s sitting.

Shafeeq has held senior positions across government and state-owned enterprises, including Managing Director of the Maldives Broadcasting Corporation, Assistant Director at the Ministry of Education, Deputy Director at Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital, Assistant Managing Director and Chief Operating Officer of Maldives Airports Company Limited, and Chief Executive Officer of the Local Government Authority.

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President Dr Mohamed Muizzu had submitted the names of Mohamed Faris Thaha, a former officer of the Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF), along with Shafeeq for the commission. However, the parliamentary Human Rights and Gender Committee endorsed only Shafeeq, as Faris failed to achieve the minimum 75 marks required for recommendation to the floor.

During the committee’s review, MPs noted receiving public comments raising allegations of domestic violence against Faris. The committee secretariat clarified that no formal submissions were made. Faris rejected the allegations, stating that he had never been investigated by any authority and that his marriage ended amicably eight years ago, with the claims surfacing years later.

His former spouse, Aminath Hussain Shareef, currently Minister of State for Fisheries, also denied the accusations in an interview with online outlet Adhadhu, saying: “I haven’t been hurt by Thoha. The divorce was not due to any such reason.”

Some MPs also cited comments suggesting that Faris had resigned from the MNDF over inhumane actions. He dismissed the claim, explaining that he left the armed forces after receiving a private sector job offer. Faris previously served as an investigating officer in the police branch of the armed forces between 1992 and 1997, and later as a weapons instructor until 2004.

The terms of HRCM Vice President Moomina Waheed and member Aminath Shifath Abdul Razzaq are due to expire on 8 September. The President’s Office had twice invited applications before forwarding the names of Faris and Shafeeq to parliament.