Fayyaz Condemns Charges Against Youth Protest Leaders as Attempt to Muzzle Dissent

Opposition leader and MDP chairperson Fayyaz Ismail condemned the government's criminal charges against youth protest leaders Abdulla Mahzoom Majid and Aishath Shiman, calling it a pathetic attempt to silence dissent. The charges stem from a May protest demanding justice for Hawwa Yumnu Rasheed, who was seriously injured after falling from a building in Malé. Mahzoom faces a basic sentence of up to four years for assaulting a police officer, while Shiman faces up to one year for obstructing law enforcement. Police said the protest disrupted businesses and exams, but witnesses claim it was peaceful and that excessive force was used during arrests.

Opposition leader and MDP chairperson Fayyaz Ismail condemned the government's criminal charges against youth protest leaders Abdulla Mahzoom Majid and Aishath Shiman, calling it a pathetic attempt to silence dissent. The charges stem from a May protest demanding justice for Hawwa Yumnu Rasheed, who was seriously injured after falling from a building in Malé. Mahzoom faces a basic sentence of up to four years for assaulting a police officer, while Shiman faces up to one year for obstructing law enforcement. Police said the protest disrupted businesses and exams, but witnesses claim it was peaceful and that excessive force was used during arrests.

Opposition leader and MDP chairperson Fayyaz Ismail condemned the government's criminal charges against youth protest leaders Abdulla Mahzoom Majid and Aishath Shiman, calling it a pathetic attempt to silence dissent. The charges stem from a May protest demanding justice for Hawwa Yumnu Rasheed, who was seriously injured after falling from a building in Malé. Mahzoom faces a basic sentence of up to four years for assaulting a police officer, while Shiman faces up to one year for obstructing law enforcement. Police said the protest disrupted businesses and exams, but witnesses claim it was peaceful and that excessive force was used during arrests.

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