Newly appointed Foreign Minister Dr. Mohamed Asim has stated that the UN note issued on the death penalty verdict on Hussain Humam of H. Lobby for the murder of late Parliamentarian Dr. Afrasheem Ali did not instruct the Government to act in any manner. He made the statement in the first press conference given this afternoon.
Speaking in the press conference, Dr. Asim said the note issued by UN merely conveyed that Humam's defense had filed the case for review to UN. As such, he said, the note did not instruct or ordered the Government to act in a certain manner. Dr. Asim said the AG and the Government were reviewing the note.
"The note is not an order to act or not act. Government of Maldives is now reviewing the note," he said.
Dr. Asim said the reports that had suggested that the UN was calling for a delay in implementing death penalty was perpetrated by the media.
Speaking to Avas, Humam's lawyer Haseen said the case submitted to UNHRC said his trial was conducted against the rights and privileges granted in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and as such warranted additional review. As Maldives is a signatory to the Convention the country has to follow the convention.
UN had ordered the Government to respond within six months and had ordered not to implement the death penalty within this period.
The state had previously announced that death penalty verdict will be implemented within 30 days of sentencing, though it was unlikely that all legal proceedings will be finalized before that.
