Bill to Criminalize Treason and Economic Sabotage Removed from Parliament Agenda

A bill to amend the Penal Code to criminalize treason and economic sabotage has been abruptly removed from the agenda of the People's Majlis (Parliament) for tomorrow's session. The bill, submitted by government MP Abdulla Rifau (Boché) of Maafannu Dhekunu constituency, was initially scheduled for its first reading. However, an updated agenda released later omitted the bill entirely. The Parliament administration has not disclosed the reason for the removal. The bill sought to classify acts of treason and damage to the economy as major criminal offenses. Critics saw it as a move to suppress opposition to the government's Rasmalé project, a controversial land reclamation and development initiative. Under the bill, holding protests or speaking out against industries such as tourism could be deemed economic sabotage. It also proposed harsher penalties for elected officials, including MPs and councilors, compared to ordinary citizens. Additionally, the bill included provisions criminalizing incitement to genocide, which some analysts warned could be used to target statements against Zionism.