Adhadhu understands that the police's use of a sonic weapon against protestors on Friday night was unlawful.
Police began using the device at 11:00 pm. It was used repeatedly, without warning, to disperse the protestors.
The opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) Chairperson Fayyaz Ismail, MDP President Abdulla Shahid and former President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih were at the front of the protest when police started using the sonic weapon.
According to Adhadhu journalists at the scene, its sound was louder and more disturbing than that of a jet engine.
A sonic weapon is a loud sound produced in a single rhythm using a long-range acoustic device or LRAD. This is a non-lethal weapon used by the police and army to control protests.
This is the first time a sonic weapon has been used to disperse protestors in the Maldives.
The police require a standard operating procedure (SOP) for the use of weapons. There are SOPs for the use of pepper spray, tear gas and batons.
However, police have not disclosed the SOP for the use of sonic weapons.
At a press briefing in the early hours of October 4, MDP lawyer Ahmed Mauroof said the police have not been authorized to use sonic weapons.
"When we checked further, we found that the weapon or device had not been authorized for use by the Maldives police when they used it tonight," he stated.
Adhadhu questioned the police media team about the SOP for the use of sonic weapons. They said information would be provided after clarification.
Adhadhu understands that a sonic weapon device was first brought to the Maldives police in 2013. However, it was not used against protestors, but rather as an alert for an announcement.
But on Friday night, police continued to use the sonic weapon for several hours, increasing its volume each time.
According to police regulations governing the acquisition, possession and use of weapons, a warning must be issued before a weapon is used.
It states that the police must specifically warn about the imminent use of the weapon before its use against any party. But no such warning was issued before the use of the sonic weapon.
