【聯合聲明】馬爾地夫：停止對和平抗議者的軍事化警務與非法聲波武器之使用

   下列簽署之組織譴責馬爾地夫警察部隊（Maldives Police Service, MPS）於2025年10月3日在對和平抗議者使用過度武力，其中包括部署「遠程聲波裝置（Long Range Acoustic Devices, LRADs）」。馬爾地夫警察部隊之行動嚴重侵犯了 ⟪馬爾地夫憲法⟫ 所保障之和平集會與自由表達之權利，同樣亦違反作為⟪公民與政治權利公約⟫（ICCPR）締約國所應承擔之國際義務。
   在馬利（Malé）抗議前，馬爾地夫警察部隊與馬爾地夫國防部隊（Maldives National Defence Force, MNDF）皆進行了威嚇性的武力展示，包括：部署武裝車輛、檢查船隻，以及採取其他不必要之行動嚇阻民眾參與。警方自抗議活動初期便設下阻礙，先是限制遊行路線，隨後藉由大量防暴警力設置路障完全封鎖行進路線。此外，活動開始後警察即迅速採取諸如對抗議者與噴灑胡椒噴霧之不符合比例原則。
   我們強烈譴責對為了壓制言論表達、驅散抗議人士甚至打壓公共異議而使用遠程聲波裝置之行為。此設備乃係為軍事行動研發，故其使用可能導致嚴重傷害，特別是在馬利，人口如此密集的民用地區部署，無異於對公共健康與安全之漠視。若在近距離之情況下使用聲波武器，不僅可能對抗議者產生傷害，甚至可能使居住在附近的兒童、長者與家庭受到嚴重地聽力與神經系統損傷。
   近期歐洲人權法院（European Court of Human Rights, ECtHR）即有一份判決警告，禁止將聲波武器用於人群控制，並指出該武器可能「可能對大量人群造成嚴重健康影響」。同時一份報導提及馬利之抗議活動中，一名參與者因而出現心臟相關緊急症狀，再次凸顯出軍事化警務手段可能對身心狀態造成的嚴重風險。
   遠程聲波裝置的部署顯示馬爾地夫警務軍事化之情況愈加令外界擔憂。正如聯合國和平集會與結社權利的前任特別報告員Clement Voule所強調，防暴警力的軍事化「會導致暴力與緊張情勢的升級、人權侵害以及更高地有罪不罰（Impunity）風險」。馬爾地夫警察部隊對抗議者長期的暴力與侵略紀錄已然腐蝕公共信任。作為公家機關，警察部隊的職責應該是保障安全、維護法治安定，而非對平民使用軍用級武器。同樣令人擔憂的是，有指控稱馬爾地夫警察部隊採購與部署遠程聲波裝置過程並未遵循專業審查（Due Diligence），且未公開其使用標準操作程序。
   我們進一步譴責在示威活動中逮捕與拘留超過八名抗議者之行為，這與馬爾地夫國內與國際上的人權義務並不相符。

我們呼籲馬爾地夫政府:

即刻停止在防暴警務或群眾控制中使用長距離聲學裝置與其他所有軍用級或危害健康之裝置；
對馬爾地夫警察部隊在遠程聲波裝置之採購、授權及操作使用進行獨立且全面的調查；
依法對使用過度武力與非法驅散抗議者之行為負有責任之個別警察人員究責；
確保立即且無條件地釋放所有因和平行使集會權與表達自由權利而被拘禁之相關人士。

   我們歡迎新聞報導指出，馬爾地夫人權委員會（Human Right Commission of the Maldives,HRCM）已宣布對10月3日警方鎮壓抗議者之情事展開調查。我們敦促委員會確保調查兼具全面性與建設性，並盡早公布調查結果。
   我們提醒馬爾地夫政府，公共集會的警務管理必須遵循必要性、比例性及合法性等原則，如聯合國對於非致命性武器的⟪人權指引⟫及相關標準之規定。
   政府必須重申對法治的承諾，維護憲法保障之公民自由，並停止採取危害人權、公共健康及公眾信任的軍事化手段。

Maldives: End Militarized Policing and Unlawful Use of Sonic Weapons Against Peaceful Protestors

The undersigned organizations condemn the excessive use of force by the Maldives Police Service (MPS) against peaceful protesters in Malé on 3 October 2025, including the deployment of Long Range Acoustic Devices (LRADs). The actions of the MPS constitute a grave violation of the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and expression guaranteed under the Constitution of the Maldives, as well as the Maldives' international obligations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), to which it is a State Party.
Ahead of the protest in Malé, both the MPS and the Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) staged an intimidating show of force, deploying armed vehicles, conducting vessel searches, and taking other unnecessary actions to deter participation. Police obstructed the demonstration from the outset, first by dictating its route, then by blocking the march entirely with barricades and an overwhelming presence of riot police. Once the protest began, police officers swiftly resorted to disproportionate measures, including the use of pepper spray against protestors and journalists.
We strongly condemn the use of LRADs against protesters to drown out speakers, disperse the protest, and suppress public dissent. Originally developed for military operations, LRADs can cause serious harm. In a densely populated area like Malé, the use of such long-range sonic weapons in civilian areas represents a reckless disregard for public health and safety. Sonic weapons deployed at close range not only risk harming protesters but also expose children, elderly persons, and families residing nearby to serious auditory and neurological damage.
A recent European Court of Human Rights judgement warned against the use of sound devices for crowd control, citing “potentially serious health effects that could be caused to a large number of persons”. During the Malé protest, one individual reportedly suffered a cardiac emergency, underscoring the serious physical and psychological risks associated with militarized policing tactics.
The deployment of LRADs marks a deeply concerning trend towards the militarization of policing in the Maldives. As highlighted by then-UN Special Rapporteur on rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association, Clement Voule, the militarization of protest policing “results in the escalation of violence and tensions, human rights abuses, and increased impunity.” The MPS’s long record of violence and aggression towards protesters has already eroded public trust. As a public service body, the MPS is mandated to ensure safety and uphold the rule of law, not to employ military-grade weaponry against civilians. Equally concerning are allegations that the MPS failed to follow due diligence in the procurement and deployment of LRADs, with no publicly disclosed standard operating procedures for their use.
We further condemn the arrest and detention of at least eight protesters during the demonstration, which is incompatible with the Maldives’ national and international human rights obligations.
We call on the Government of the Maldives to:

Immediately cease the use of LRADs and all military-grade or harmful devices in protest policing or crowd control;
Conduct an independent and thorough investigation into the procurement, authorization, and operational use of LRADs by the MPS;
Take lawful action against individual police personnel responsible for the use of excessive force and unlawful dispersal of protesters; and
Ensure the immediate and unconditional release of all individuals detained for peacefully exercising their rights to freedom of assembly and expression.

We welcome news reports that the Human Rights Commission of the Maldives (HRCM) has announced that it is investigating the 3 October police crackdown against protestors. We urge the Commission to ensure a full and constructive investigation and publish its findings at the earliest.
We remind the government of the Maldives that the policing of public gatherings must be guided by principles of necessity, proportionality, and legality, as set out in the UN Human Rights Guidance on Less-Lethal Weapons and related standards.
The government must reaffirm its commitment to the rule of law, uphold constitutionally guaranteed civic freedoms, and end the regressive adoption of militarized practices that endanger human rights, public health, and public trust.