- Death penalty verdict delivered on three individuals
- Legal procedures underway
- Years since death penalty was last implemented
Home Minister Azleen Ahmed on Sunday said that death penalty will be implemented in the country and that it was a must. He said this was mandated by Shariah and country laws, adding that not implementing the verdict was not an option.
Speaking in a press conference in President's Office, in response to a question by the press, Minister Azleen said procedures to implement the verdict were underway. However, he said he was unable to say exactly when the verdict will be carried out.
"Maldives is a 100 percent Muslim nation. When something is commanded in Quran and Prophetic tradition, we cannot fall back on it, we don't have a choice in it. That's why its going ahead. I cannot say when it will be implemented. But the procedures are ongoing," the Minister said.
His predecessor, Umar Naseer, had said that he will seek to implement the death penalty in a period of 30-days from the date of verdict.
Supreme Court had issued death penalty verdict on Hussain Humam of H. Lobby for the murder of Parliamentarian Dr. Afrasheem Ali, Murrath of M. Masroora for the murder of lawyer Hussain Najeeb and Mohamed Nabeel of G. Reef for the murder of Abdullah Farhad. It has been over 30 days since the verdicts were announced on them.
There are many processes that need to be completed prior to implementing the death penalty, which are underway. A set of guidelines were issued in 2014, under the Police Act and Parole Act, which clearly states the procedures that must be observed. The guidelines do not say that the verdict must be implemented in a period of 30 days.
Death penalty will be administered via lethal injection or hanging. Death penalty was last implemented in 1953, when it was implemented on Hakim Didi who had used black magic.
