Maldives has been elected as a Vice President of the UN Human Rights Council despite a poor track record.
The council consists of 47 of the UN member states and is chaired by a rotating bureau with a President and four Vice Presidents.
Permanent Representative of the Maldives to the UN Office in Geneva Salma Rasheed will represent the country as the Vice President.
This comes as the country's human rights situation worsens under the administration of President Mohamed Muizzu.
His government has imposed more restrictions on freedom of expression, freedom of assembly and freedom of the press.
Muizzu has also seized control of the judiciary and the parliament while government employees face dismissals for political reasons.
But in a post on X, Muizzu said the Maldives has a proven track record of advocating for human rights.
"The Maldives is consistently striving to work towards a more just and inclusive world for all," he wrote.
Meanwhile, the government is pushing ahead with plans to dismantle the free press despite condemnation from local and international NGOs.
The government has also obstructed peaceful political rallies by the People's National Front (PNF) and Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP).
Youth-led protests held in May were stopped after police brutally arrested two organizers. They are now facing criminal charges with jail terms.
Police also used force to stop peaceful protestors in Noonu Holhudhoo who were demanding justice over a suspicious death.
Two Supreme Court Justices were unfairly dismissed by the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) and the People's Majlis, both of which are controlled by Muizzu.
