US embassy cable - 05COLOMBO1824

C O N F I D E N T I A L COLOMBO 001824 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR SA/INS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/17/2015 
TAGS: PGOV, PHUM, MV, Maldives 
SUBJECT: MALDIVES:  OPPOSITION FIGURE'S DAUGHTER SENTENCED 
TO TEN YEARS 
 
REF: COLOMBO 1716 
 
Classified By: AMB. JEFFREY J. LUNSTEAD.  REASON:  1.4 (B,D). 
 
1.  (U) Jennifer Latheef, daughter of Maldivian Democratic 
Party (MDP) Spokesman Mohamed Latheef, was sentenced by the 
Criminal Court on October 18 to 10 years in prison on 
terrorism charges.  The charges stemmed from Jennifer's 
participation in a September 2003 demonstration in Male' 
protesting the death of a detainee in prison.  She pleaded 
not guilty to all charges.  Although her trial ended in July 
2004, the verdict and sentence were handed down only 
today--after an inexplicable 14-month delay.  Four other 
suspects were given sentences of between ten and eleven years 
in the same case. 
 
2.  (SBU)  Mohamed Latheef, who lives in self-imposed exile 
in Colombo, alleged to poloff in an October 18 conversation 
that the charges against his daughter were fabricated by the 
Government of Republic of Maldives (GORM) as a way of getting 
back at him.  According to Latheef, the government's case 
against his daughter consisted of police "eyewitness" 
statements--including one from an officer who admitted he had 
his back turned at the time--that Jennifer had thrown a stone 
at a police constable and another statement from an 
eyewitness that Jennifer was observed in heated conversation 
with the driver of a police vehicle that was later set on 
fire by protesters.  (Note:  Six of the seven prosecution 
witnesses against Jennifer were policemen.)  Although the 
GORM alleged the stone-throwing resulted in "grievous bodily 
injury" to the constable, it produced no evidence, such as a 
medical report, to back up that claim, Latheef contended. 
Other opposition activists agreed with Latheef's assessment, 
noting that Jennifer was originally released from custody in 
November 2003 and told no charges would be filed against her. 
 After her father moved to Sri Lanka and began vocally 
opposing the GORM from there in April 2004, however, a case 
against her was filed two months later. 
 
3.  (SBU)  Poloff's efforts to reach the Attorney General's 
office on October 18 were unsuccessful.  Chief Government 
Spokesman Mohamed Shareef, however, confirmed the sentence to 
us, explaining that the terrorism charge was based on 
eyewitness accounts that Jennifer Latheef had assaulted a 
police officer, necessitating that he be airlifted to Colombo 
for medical treatment, and had instigated acts of arson 
against the Elections Office, a police vehicle and a police 
post.  When asked if other evidence besides the statements of 
eyewitnesses had been submitted, Shareef said that he 
believed that videotapes of the protest had been offered as 
evidence, although he stopped short of saying that the 
videotapes captured Jennifer Latheef actually engaged in any 
acts of terrorism. 
 
4.  (SBU)  Shareef maintained that the GORM had taken special 
pains to ensure the fairness of Jennifer Latheef's trial. 
For example, in an effort to allow public access to the 
proceedings, the GORM had rented out a large auditorium to 
accommodate spectators.  Second, an "independent" 
investigation had been conducted by a group of "eminent 
persons" not subject to pressure from the executive branch, 
he averred.  Third, Latheef had access to legal counsel 
throughout the course of the proceedings. 
 
5.  (C)  Comment:  We have not reviewed the evidence against 
Latheef, but past experience suggests that the GORM applies 
terrorism charges against a wide range of activities it finds 
distasteful, such as opposition protests.  When the 
Ambassador met Attorney General Dr. Hassan Saeed in Male' on 
September 27 (Reftel), the AG said that he believed that 
Mohamed Nasheed, the detained chairman of the MDP, was very 
close to coming to an "understanding" with the GORM about the 
seriousness of the charges he faces.  The 14-month gap 
between the trial and the verdict/sentencing, as well as the 
harshness of the sentence, could be an effort by the GORM to 
apply pressure on Nasheed to cut a deal with the prosecution. 
LUNSTEAD