Maldives Parliament Impeaches Two Supreme Court Judges Amid Political Crisis

The Parliament of the Maldives has impeached two Supreme Court justices, Azmiralda Zahir and Mahaz Ali Zahir, escalating a deepening political crisis triggered by President Mohamed Muizzu’s efforts to amend the constitution to penalize legislators who switch political parties, as per Al Jazeera.

The impeachment vote took place on Wednesday, passing 68 to 11 in a Parliament dominated by Muizzu’s People’s National Congress, which holds a supermajority of 79 out of 93 seats. The move follows allegations of abuse of power against the two judges.

Outside Parliament House, dozens of opposition supporters rallied, calling for Muizzu’s resignation and protesting what they described as intimidation of the judiciary.

This development follows a controversial decision by the Judicial Services Commission (JSC), controlled by Muizzu’s allies, to suspend the two judges and a third, Justice Husnu al-Suood, over a period of more than two months. Suood resigned amid accusations that President Muizzu and Attorney General Ahmed Usham pressured the Supreme Court to deliver favorable rulings.

Muizzu has denied all allegations of judicial interference, stating at a 14-hour press conference on May 3:

“I do not interfere with the judiciary. I have never done so. I do not control the judicial watchdog.”

The standoff has brought the Maldives Supreme Court to a near halt, with all hearings, including those on the contested constitutional amendments, postponed indefinitely. The political turmoil revives fears of instability in the Indian Ocean nation, which has experienced coups, disputed elections, and political violence since introducing multiparty democracy in 2008.

The impeachment allegations relate to an incident in December 2024, when Azmiralda Zahir’s husband, Ismail Latheef, was arrested during a police raid at a spa in the capital, Malé. Latheef was accused of soliciting a prostitute but was later released by a Criminal Court judge, who found no evidence to support the charges.

The arrest occurred two weeks after President Muizzu enacted anti-defection laws that threaten to strip parliamentarians of their seats if they switch political parties. Critics argue these laws serve to cement Muizzu’s parliamentary dominance and weaken democratic checks and balances.

The JSC accused Justices Azmiralda and Mahaz of improperly lobbying lower courts to secure Latheef’s release, an allegation both judges have vehemently denied.

Attorney General Usham told Al Jazeera the government “categorically denies” claims of judicial interference and insists the suspension and impeachment processes followed legal procedures.

However, the case has drawn sharp criticism from the United Nations and international rights groups. Margaret Satterthwaite, UN Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers, expressed deep concern over the suspension and impeachment of the judges.

“These proceedings appear aimed at undermining the Supreme Court’s ability to review the constitutionality of the anti-defection measures,” she said. “Judges must only be dismissed on serious grounds with full procedural fairness. The current actions may amount to interference with judicial independence.”