July 13, 2012, MALE, MALDIVES, 7:00pm — At approximately 6:15pm local time, Shauna Aminath, Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) Youth Wing President, and Policy Secretary, was arrested in Male and is currently being held in police custody in the Dhoonidhoo detention island. At this time the charges against her are unknown. The MDP is deeply concerned for Shauna’s safety, due to the documented abuses of other detainees held in police custody since the coup d’etat on 7 February. The MDP calls upon the government of the Republic of Maldives for her immediate release.

Shauna was recently received at meetings with the U.S. Department of State, the U.S. Senate, the U.S. Congress, the United Nations and the Indian government as part of former President Mohamed Nasheed’s diplomatic delegation to the U.S. and India.

Shauna is well known internationally for her non-violent pro-democracy work and for her climate change advocacy, and was featured in the film THE ISLAND PRESIDENT, about former President Nasheed’s first year in office.