Human Rights Watch Calls for Reinstatement of Suspended Supreme Court Justices in the Maldives
Supreme Court judges | Photo: The President’s Office
Human Rights Watch has urged the Maldivian government to reinstate three Supreme Court justices suspended earlier this year and to end practices that threaten judicial independence.
Three Supreme Court justices were unjustly suspended in the Maldives.
The Maldives government should immediately reinstate them and cease other efforts to undermine judicial independence.
https://t.co/n8od5sblEw pic.twitter.com/IWkyl1NISv— Human Rights Watch (@hrw) April 25, 2025advertisement
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In a statement issued last Thursday, the international rights organisation raised concerns over the suspension of Dr Azmiralda Zahir, Mahaz Ali Zahir, and Husnu Al Suood by the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) on 26 February. The JSC also initiated disciplinary proceedings against the judges shortly before the Supreme Court was due to rule on a petition challenging a constitutional amendment.
The amendment in question would result in the removal of lawmakers who leave or are expelled from the party under which they were elected. A report recommending the dismissal of the justices was submitted by the JSC on 19 April, with a hearing scheduled and a deadline of 24 April given for the judges to respond.
One of the three judges, Husnu Al Suood, has since resigned, citing intimidation and accusing President Mohamed Muizzu and the attorney general of using pressure tactics to force dismissals. In March, the suspended justices issued a statement claiming that agents from the attorney general’s office had threatened them with misconduct proceedings unless they dismissed the petition. They also alleged that their legal counsel was barred from participating in the proceedings.
Human Rights Watch described the suspensions as improper and warned that they undermined the ability of the courts to operate independently. The organisation’s Asia director, Elaine Pearson, said the disciplinary measures raised serious concerns about political interference in the judiciary, particularly by the executive branch.
The 2008 Constitution of the Maldives establishes the JSC as an independent body tasked with investigating judicial complaints and taking disciplinary action. Under Article 154 of the Constitution, a judge may only be removed for gross incompetence or gross misconduct. Human Rights Watch pointed out that successive governments have used the JSC for political purposes, referencing a 2018 case under then-President Abdulla Yameen, when three justices were arrested as part of a wider crackdown on dissent.
The organisation cited the United Nations Basic Principles on the Independence of the Judiciary, which stipulate that judges should only be removed for incapacity or conduct that renders them unfit for office, and that any disciplinary process must be fair and transparent.
Human Rights Watch called on President Muizzu to uphold judicial independence and human rights in the Maldives, and urged international partners to press for an end to what it described as threats to the country’s judiciary and democratic institutions.
