Presidential Commission on Investigating Murders and Enforced Disappearances has revealed that missing Miniwan News journalist Ahmed Rilwan was murdered on a boat by an extremist religious group after he was abducted in 2014.
At a press conference held on Sunday to reveal the findings of the commission's investigation into Rilwan's disappearance, the President of the Commission Husnu-Al-Suood said Rilwan's death stemmed from a dispute between an extremist religious organization and a group of people with 'progressive' ideologies who advocated for human rights in the Maldives.
While Rilwan was one of the many people in the nonconformist group, Rilwan, along with several other people were added to a 'hit-list' due to the activities being conducted by the group in capital Male', said Suood. The group continued to shadow Rilwan, and the journalist wrote about the group Miniwan News, said Suood.
28 May 2014 - Death threats
Suood revealed that communications between Rilwan and a person who propagates radical Islam in Maldives took place via Facebook in the days leading up to his death. Suood said Rilwan interacted with the admin of a Facebook Group named Bilad-Al-Sham Media, an organization notorious for sending Maldivians to Syria to join the ongoing war.
Suood said Rilwan spoke with 'Abu Dujana' on 27 May 2014 regarding two articles published on Miniwan News by Rilwan, dated 5th May 2014 and 27 May 2014. The chat log revealed that the group suspected Rilwan was sharing information on Maldivians who traveled to Syria to join the war, and information on radical Islamist in the Maldives, with the police and other parties.
"He referred to Rilwan as an atheist, and accused him of sharing information on Maldivian militants in Syria, and other radical Islamist with the police and other parties. However, Rilwan denied the accusations', said Suood.
Suood read out some parts of the conversation, and said Rilwan had attempted to resolve the situation through discussion. However, Abu Dujana had stated that he would not have any conversations with Rilwan, and threatened Rilwan stating that the 'answer' would become clear when the time was right.
"The Bilad-al-Sham admin said in response to Rilwan that he would return to respond to Rilwan when he had time. On 28 May 2014, the admin responded stating that the group would not cooperate with Rilwan in any way, and that this was a clear warning. We believe this is evidence that the group was threatening to kill Rilwan"
Evidence points that Rilwan was killed on sea
The trial on Rilwan's abduction revealed he was kidnapped and taken away in a red car, and that a loud scream was heard at the time. Rilwan's DNA was discovered in the vehicle. During today's press conference, Suood revealed how Rilwan was abducted from his residence in reclaimed suburbs Hulhumale' and the events that followed his abduction.
Suood said while the Criminal Court verdict had stated that there was no evidence that Rilwan went to Hulhumale' on the night of his disappearance, another passenger who traveled on the same ferry can confirm that Rilwan boarded the ferry to go to Hulhumale' that night . Signals off his mobile phone were received by the Hulhumale' cell tower around the time he would have reached Hulhumale', said Suood. Therefore, it can b confirmed that Rilwan did indeed reach Hulhumale' that particular night.
A witness has stated that he heard two or three successive screams very near to where he was on the night of the abduction, and a red car waiting outside Flat number 21 where Rilwan resided was seen by a witness. While the backseat passenger door was open when the car started to slowly drive away, a hand extended to close the door after it drove off said the witness. At that very moment, an individual drove away on a motorcycle parked nearby, said Suood.
"The noise he heard round 1.45 am was a man's voice. The witness said it sounded like a noise that would escape one's throat when fighting for his breath when in anguish. A second person has corroborated his account", sad Suood.
Three people have given witness statements regarding the events that took place after Rilwan was forced into the car, said Suood. Thee passengers in the car and the person who rode the motorcycle took Rilwan to a dinghy on which he was taken to another vessel. Rilwan was killed on the said vessel, said Suood.
While the accounts of the witness statements on how he was killed has some discrepancies, the details cannot be revealed at the time, said Suood.
Suood said one account states Rilwan was wrapped in a net before he was killed while the other states he was made to utter the 'shahada', the Islamic testimony of faith before he was murdered, said Suood.
