[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 161 (2015), Part 12]
[Senate]
[Pages 17023-17024]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




          STATEMENTS ON INTRODUCED BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS

      By Mr. LEAHY (for himself, Mr. Durbin, Mr. Murphy, Mr. McCain, 
        Mr. Reed, Mr. Whitehouse, Mr. Blumenthal, Mr. Peters, Mr. 
        Rubio, Mr. Menendez, Mr. Cardin, Mr. Coons, Mr. Markey, and 
        Mrs. Feinstein):
  S. 2231. A bill to express the sense of Congress that the Government 
of the Maldives should immediately release former President Mohamed 
Nasheed from prison and release all other political prisoners in the 
country, as well as guarantee due process for and respect the human 
rights of all of the people of the Maldives; to the Committee on 
Foreign Relations.
  Mr. LEAHY. Mr. President, since January 2015, President Abdulla 
Yameen of the Maldives has increasingly cracked down on dissent within 
his own party and the political opposition, presided over the erosion 
of judicial impartiality, and put increasing pressure on civil society. 
The arrest of former president Mohamed Nasheed, who was convicted in a 
widely condemned trial that UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid 
Ra'ad described as containing ``flagrant irregularities'', and who 
remains imprisoned today, is indicative of the current situation.
  That is why today I am introducing, together with a bipartisan 
coalition of 13 other Senators, a bill expressing the sense of Congress 
that the Government of the Maldives should immediately release former 
president Nasheed and all other political prisoners in the country, and 
guarantee due process for, and respect the human rights of, all of the 
people of the Maldives.
  The United States and the Maldives have common interests in maritime 
security, commerce, and addressing climate change. But we also expect 
our partners to respect the fundamental rights of their people, 
including those who disagree with the government's

[[Page 17024]]

policies, and to uphold the basic principles of justice. I thank the 
cosponsors of this legislation for their support.

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