President Dr Mohamed Muizzu has accused the former administration of committing high treason, alleging that it unlawfully surrendered part of the nation’s sovereign maritime territory to Mauritius without legitimate cause.
At 'The Greater Addu' campaign rally organised by the ruling People’s National Congress (PNC), President Muizzu delivered a pointed critique of his predecessor’s handling of the Chagos maritime dispute. He argued that the decision to cede Maldivian ocean territory was a unilateral act, not initiated by Mauritius.
He criticised the decision to abandon arbitration in favour of the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS), saying the Maldives lost a crucial opportunity to appeal. “Had the matter proceeded through arbitration, even in the event of an unfavourable ruling for the Maldives, there would have remained a substantial opportunity to mount a legal challenge. Instead, as the proceedings were nearing a conclusion, the previous administration proactively requested to transfer the case to ITLOS,” he said.
President Muizzu highlighted the financial and territorial consequences of that choice. “This was not done at the behest of Mauritius. They chose to submit the case, retaining legal counsel at an expense of MVR 37 million [USD 2.40 million]. Ultimately, the matter was taken to ITLOS, and the tribunal’s decision resulted in the forfeiture of our maritime territory,” he continued.
An internal review by newly appointed government legal counsel, he said, found no justification for the former administration’s decision to steer the case toward ITLOS. He added that the concession occurred only after the state had expended USD 2.40 million on proceedings. He also alleged that the previous government bypassed Parliament, relinquishing maritime boundaries illegally through a formal letter rather than securing legislative approval.
Condemning the process in the strongest terms, President Muizzu declared: “This action was executed without parliamentary consultation and in direct violation of the law, formalised merely by a letter bearing the former president’s signature. I firmly believe this constitutes an act of high treason. Furthermore, this was orchestrated using USD 2.40 million [MVR 37 million] of public funds. These expenditures were essentially financing the crime of high treason and a betrayal of the state.”
He announced that his administration had formally withdrawn the controversial letter sent by the former government to Mauritius, a step disclosed during his Presidential Address at the inaugural session of Parliament on 5 February. He said a newly assembled international legal team has been tasked with escalating the issue to relevant international regulatory bodies. While acknowledging the formidable challenges of overturning a finalised international ruling, he expressed confidence that the Maldives would ultimately succeed in reclaiming the lost territory.
Turning to the broader political climate, President Muizzu dismissed the narratives advanced by the opposition. He argued that, having inflicted such profound damage upon the nation’s sovereignty, the opposition had forfeited its credibility. He urged the public to critically evaluate the rhetoric being disseminated by those responsible for the territorial loss.