LGBT rights in Maldives | |
---|---|
Same-sex sexual activity legal? | Illegal |
Penalty:
|
Up to death. Sharia law applies. Whippings, house arrest, deportation, and up to 6 years in jail. Vigilante attacks and executions also occur. |
Gender identity/expression | Illegal |
Same-sex relationships are illegal in the Maldives under Sharia law, though not under national law. In addition, the Maldives was one of the initially 57 (now 54) signatory nations to a statement opposing the UN declaration on sexual orientation and gender identity, which was introduced for the General Assembly in 2008 originally and remains open for signature. The country further opposed a landmark LGBT rights resolution in the United Nations Human Rights Council, proposed by the Republic of South Africa and backed by most developed countries, which passed in 2011.
In April 2013 the first openly gay and secular blogger in the Maldives, Hilath Rasheed, was attacked.
The Maldives does not recognize same-sex marriages, civil unions, or domestic partnerships.
The section 410 of the Penal Code, in force since July 2015, criminalizes same-sex marriage.
There is no legal protection against discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity.