Families of murdered blogger, journalist request pres to assign foreign expert to commission

Missing journalist Ahmed Rilwan and murdered blogger Yameen Rasheed’s families have met with the President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih.

A news statement issued by the two families said they requested the president to assign a foreign expert to the presidential commission investigating enforced disappearances and murders as one of its members to ensure justice for the families and enhance the work of the commission.

Rilwan was abducted in August 2014. As per the report prepared on his disappearance by the Commission, Rilwan’s disappearance and subsequent murder was a retaliatory act of a Maldives branch of extremist group Al-Qaedah after he ridiculed the religion. Blogger Yameen Rasheed was murdered on April 23 in 2014, and his body was discovered in the stairwell of his residential building. President Solih had earlier assured that he would not hesitate to take any action that is required against the serious issues related to the cases.

Families of the two victims sent a letter to the president previously as well. In the letter, it was stated that the last update they received was that the Prosecutor General Office had returned the cases due to the investigation being carried out incorrectly. Upon completing the investigation, it was forwarded to the PGO for further actions over two of the suspects in connection to the murder case of Dr Afrasheem Ali, and Yameen and the enforced disappearance of Rilwan. No further update was given to the families after that, it was further stated in the letter.