Statement of Mariyam Manike - her son was beaten to death by Maldivian police on September 19th 2003

Translation
Statement given by Mariyam Manike - her son Evan Naseem was beaten to death by Maldivian Police

Statement No: RC-E-279
Presidential Commission
President’s Office
Name in full:         Mariyam Manike                       Date of Birth/Age: 41 years
Permanent Address: M. Asia, Malé               National ID No: A-047383
Father’s Name: (Abdulla Ahmed) Dhonrahaa Dhonthuththu
Occupation: Acting Coach, Netball Ass.                   Present Address: Ma. Asia                                                                                      Date: 15 November 2003

On the 20 September 2003 morning, while I was asleep when I opened it, as someone was knocking on my room door, I saw a Department of Corrections guard standing on the door. I don’t know his name. It was about 8 minutes to 7. He told me to call Ismail Moosa (the director of Department of Corrections). When I told him that I did not have a number to call Ismail Moosa, he gave me the number, and said call now while going out and went away even without looking at me. When I called Ismail Moosa by phone (he) said that Evan was in the hospital and to come to hospital very soon. Instantly I thought that Evan must have been injured with a fracture somewhere. I went to hospital immediately. When I went to hospital I saw three soldiers standing by the wall when I asked where was Evan they said that Evan was in the dressing room. When I was told that Evan was in the dressing room I was certain that he was brought injured. When I went to the dressing room there were soldiers inside and outside that room. When I asked where Evan was, coming out, Ismail Moosa (the director of Department of Corrections) said that last night (19 September 2003) M. Asia Hassan Evan Naseem had died. Even when I begged to be shown Evan’s face they did not show me Evan’s face at that time. I begged for 25 minutes to be shown Evan’s face. I was told that the face would be shown after the soldiers and doctors have seen. Instantly, when Dr Ahmed Razi came I told him that that I was Hassan Evan’s mother still I could not have seen the face. Then Razi told me that he had come just now, and would show (me) after having examined the body. I was able to enter into where Evan was kept when Razi came out and called me to come. I was able to see Evan after half an hour since I went to hospital. I went up to the soldiers and the Department of Corrections men there, and when I asked how Evan had died they said that they did not know. When I stood at Evan there was a sheet of cloth on the body. Exposed was only Evan’s face. On begging to give us Evan’s body and let the family members see Evan’s face they said that two at a time can go in to see Evan’s face. I went in two or three times, previously. When I went in there were two soldiers on one side of Evan. On the end were two nurses. When I tried to draw the cloth on the body, thinking of having a look at Evan’s body, the soldiers and nurses said not to draw it and stopped me from drawing the cloth. When I lifted up the cloth against them I saw on Evan’s hand wounds of torture. The t-shirt on Evan was at that time torn apart. When I saw first, I saw at the neck of the t-shirt that Evan was in. Later, when the cloth was taken off it did not seem that there was anything on the body. When I was denied possession of Evan’s body, I had a friend of mine to speak to the director Muizzu (Mohamed Muizzu) of the Department of Corrections in less than10 minute thereupon Evan’s body was handed over to us. When Evan’s body was about to be taken away there someone (I don’t know who) said to wait until Naseem (Evan’s father) came. It was past 12 noon when Evan’s body was handed over to us. In 15 minutes of arrival of Naseem in hospital we had taken Evan’s body away from hospital. Still when Evan’s body was taken away from hospital no one said how Evan had died. However, I knew even then that Evan had succumbed to torture. I had then seen the report on Evan at the hospital counter. I knew from the report that Evan had died of torture. I saw it when I was called for some information about Evan to be included in that report. In hospital, knowing that Evan had died I tried to call someone detained in Maafushi prison. I was able to contact the prison after 9:30. Until 4:30 that day, I was in touch with various young people from prison. From prison various people told me different stories. We had the news that a bullet struck M. Binunimaage Ameen (Abdulla Ameen)’s head by 2 o’clock that day. I was told that from prison when I was in the new cemetery. People from prison told me that on 20 September 2003 morning they had the news of Evan’s death. They told me that they got the news from someone of the prison. Taken to the new cemetery, I kept Evan’s body for a long time before burial in order to show to a good many people the scars of injury to Evan. Evan was buried after the Evening Prayer (Isha) on 20 September 2003. Evan was handed to us without any clothes on. At the cemetery, we kept Evan’s bare body with the genital area covered. There were grains of sand in Evan’s tear ducts even when Evan’s body was taken to the cemetery. When I saw in hospital it was not cleaned. There was sand on many places of the body. When we were handed, it was cleaned. But on some parts some sand was sticking. I don’t know who provided the funeral. Evan’s father (Naseem) told me that the funeral had been arranged. I saw Evan last when he was brought to Malé sick about four months before death. Later on, however, I was able to speak (to him) on the phone any time. I called (him) two days before Evan died. Two months before he died he was taken to Dhoonidhoo and tortured badly over the case of a phone. If I write a letter complaining about torture to my son revenge is taken on him. Because of that no matter how much (he) is tortured we cannot take any action.

Mariyam Manike

Listened by: Abdul Sattar Moosa Didi
                   Aishath Mohamed Didi
                   Abdulla Saeed
                   Dr Mohamed Salih

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