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Thread: Maldives

  1. #1
    Administrator Helen's Avatar
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    Maldives


    Home minister Umar Naseer speaks to reporters at the home ministry on April 27, 2014. HAVEERU PHOTO/ MOHAMED SHARUHAAN


    The home ministry on Sunday gazetted the recently drafted regulations on death penalty, with immediate effect

    The first cabinet discussion on the death penalty had been conducted on February 9. That discussion resulted in the cabinet having decided to draft detailed regulations on how actions will be taken in investigations and prosecutions with regards to the death penalty.

    Explaining the regulations, home minister Umar Naseer told reporters that the president must order the implementation of the death sentence within three days of the sentence being pronounced. However, the accused will have opportunity to mediate with the beneficiaries of the deceased before the President orders the death penalty, he said.

    According to the new regulation, the Islamic ministry will be responsible for overseeing the mediation process.

    Umar stressed that the beneficiaries of the deceased should be consulted even before the execution of the death sentence. If any of them refuses, the sentence would be not be executed, he said.

    The minister noted that the death penalty would be executed at Maafushi Prison and would be witnessed by the Commissioner of Prisons, three members of the public, a state attorney and a medical doctor.

    "Facilities needed for the execution of death penalty are being established at Maafushi Prison," Umar said.

    The cabinet had previously suggested lethal injection as the method of executing death penalty.

    The latest death sentence was handed to Hussain Humam, the prime suspect in the murder of former Ungoofaru MP Dr Afrasheem Ali.

    Twenty people have been sentenced to death so far. High Court overturned the sentence of one of the convicts, whilst the rest have been stalled at the appeal court.

    http://www.haveeru.com.mv/news/54607
    "I realize this may sound harsh, but as a father and former lawman, I really don't care if it's by lethal injection, by the electric chair, firing squad, hanging, the guillotine or being fed to the lions."
    - Oklahoma Rep. Mike Christian

    "There are some people who just do not deserve to live,"
    - Rev. Richard Hawke

    “There are lots of extremely smug and self-satisfied people in what would be deemed lower down in society, who also deserve to be pulled up. In a proper free society, you should be allowed to make jokes about absolutely anything.”
    - Rowan Atkinson

  2. #2
    Administrator Helen's Avatar
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    ​UN Rights Office Condemns death penalty revival

    The UN human rights office on Tuesday voiced concern over moves to revive the death penalty in the Maldives, including for minors, after a six-decade freeze on capital punishment in the Indian Ocean archipelago.

    "We are deeply concerned about a new regulation adopted in the Maldives on implementation of the death penalty, which effectively overturns a 60-year moratorium on the use of capital punishment in the country," said Ravina Shamdasani, spokeswoman for the office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.

    Under new rules adopted by the Maldives government on Sunday, death sentences can now be handed down for murder even if the defendant is aged under 18, Shamdasani told reporters.

    The age of criminal responsibility in the Maldives is 10, but children as young as seven can be held responsible for so-called "hadd" offences under Islamic law, she said.

    "The new regulation means that children as young as seven can now be sentenced to death," she warned.

    "According to the new regulation, minors convicted of intentional murder shall be executed once they turn 18. Similar provisions in the recently ratified Penal Code, allowing for the application of the death penalty for crimes committed when below the age of 18, are also deeply regrettable," she added.

    Shamdasani stressed that international law stipulates that individuals convicted for offences committed before they turn 18 should not be sentenced to death or life imprisonment without possibility of release.

    "We urge the government to retain its moratorium on the use of the death penalty in all circumstances, particularly in cases that involve juvenile offenders and to work towards abolishing the practice altogether," she said.

    http://deathpenaltynews.blogspot.com/#ixzz30I58WlJX
    "I realize this may sound harsh, but as a father and former lawman, I really don't care if it's by lethal injection, by the electric chair, firing squad, hanging, the guillotine or being fed to the lions."
    - Oklahoma Rep. Mike Christian

    "There are some people who just do not deserve to live,"
    - Rev. Richard Hawke

    “There are lots of extremely smug and self-satisfied people in what would be deemed lower down in society, who also deserve to be pulled up. In a proper free society, you should be allowed to make jokes about absolutely anything.”
    - Rowan Atkinson

  3. #3
    Administrator Helen's Avatar
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    Former Home Minister questions government's sincerity regarding the death penalty

    Former Home Minister Hassan Afeef has questioned the government's intention to carry out the death sentence under recently introduced regulations.

    "I think they are just playing to the minds of the people because they say they want to protect the religion and protect the country as one of their campaign pledges," he said.

    Afeef - home minister between 2010 and 2012 - also questioned the ability of the current tainted judiciary to provide the certainty required for implementation of the death penalty under Islamic law.

    "The judiciary might pass the sentence, there may be a verdict, but I don't think the current regime will carry it out," said Afeef.

    "They know how politically influenced the judiciary is as the present government are the people who politically influence these judicial decisions - so they know why they make these decisions."

    Afeef's comments follow further international headlines regarding the new regulations.

    The AFP has described the recent murder conviction of a minor to be a "test case" for the new law, although the home minister had previously said that the rules will be applied retroactively to all pending death sentences.

    In a statement released yesterday, the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) joined the growing international criticism accusing the Maldives government of being out-of-step with its international commitments.

    "The decision to reinstate the death penalty in the Maldives, in particular against minors, is an outrage and gravely at odds with the growing international momentum towards abolition," said FIDH President Karim Lahidji.

    Speaking with Minivan News today, Afeef said the government's attempts to carry out death sentences in accordance with Islamic Shariah were not possible with the criminal justice system as it is.

    Afeef argued that those found guilty of such crimes beyond any doubt should be punished according to Islamic law, but questioned the capacity of the police and the judiciary to provide this certainty.

    "According to Islam, when you pass the death penalty it has to be proven beyond doubt that the person has committed that crime and, according to the present situation - the present judiciary and the autocratic regime - we may find a situation where the person sentenced may not be the actual culprit," he said.

    The impartiality of the police and the judiciary has continued to be questioned this month, with the opposition Maldivian Democratic Party describing failures investigate the multiple charges against Supreme Court Judge Ali Hameed as "awe-inspiring".

    The statement said the failure of the police and the Judicial Services Commission to conclude investigations or to prosecute Judge Hameed were a clear indication of the status of the Maldives' criminal justice system.

    "Such a judge sitting on the supreme court bench is not recognised by any judicial or legal system in the world. And surely it is the general public who are facing injustice because of this," said the party.

    Hameed - who stands accused of appearing in a sex-tape as well as corruption - adjudicated on both the annulment the 1st round of last year's presidential elections as well as the dismissal of the elections commissioner prior to parliamentary elections in March.

    Both incidents were denounced by the international community, which has consistently called for judicial reform. Current Attorney General Mohamed Anil has pledged review and reform of the courts as part of the government's legislative agenda.

    Home Minister Umar Naseer's January announcement that the government was making preparations to end the country's 60-year moratorium on the death penalty culminated in the publication of new procedural regulations last month.

    Following the gazetting of the new guidelines, Naseer said the chances of killing an innocent person after completing all the procedures in the regulation were "far-fetched" and "almost impossible".

    The regulation - which only allows implementation of death penalty when the sentence is delivered by the Supreme Court - will establish a death penalty committee to assure all procedures have been adhered to.

    Mediation between the Islamic Ministry and the victim's family is also mandated, with family members who are 'warith' (heirs in Shariah law) given an opportunity to pardon the convict with or without receiving blood money.

    After having previously been opposed to the practice, President Abdulla Yameen announced a "change of heart" just weeks after winning his party's presidential primary race last year.

    Suggesting that "murder has to be punished with murder" in order to "save society", Yameen embarked on a campaign of 'dheen and qawm' - religion and country - winning a drawn-out election in the second round last November.

    http://deathpenaltynews.blogspot.com/#ixzz32YILYYvw
    "I realize this may sound harsh, but as a father and former lawman, I really don't care if it's by lethal injection, by the electric chair, firing squad, hanging, the guillotine or being fed to the lions."
    - Oklahoma Rep. Mike Christian

    "There are some people who just do not deserve to live,"
    - Rev. Richard Hawke

    “There are lots of extremely smug and self-satisfied people in what would be deemed lower down in society, who also deserve to be pulled up. In a proper free society, you should be allowed to make jokes about absolutely anything.”
    - Rowan Atkinson

  4. #4
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    Maldives sentences two to death over murder

    COLOMBO (Xinhua) -- The Maldives juvenile court has sentenced two young men to death over a murder committed when the pair were minors, but the two are unlikely to face the death penalty, local media reported on Tuesday.

    The two unnamed 19-year-olds denied charges over the stabbing and death of Hussain Waheed in capital Mal in December 2013. They were 16 at the time.

    Waheed had died of heart failure due to the stab wounds to his chest, local media outlet Minivan News reported.

    Speaking at the UN human rights council last week, legal affairs secretary at the president's office, Aishath Bisham, said "it would be legally impossible to issue the death sentence" if the accused denies murder charges at any stage of prosecution.

    One of the suspects was charged with murder while the other was charged with being an accomplice to the murder. Another 14-year- old was arrested at the time and charged with assaulting an individual on the scene.

    The juvenile court sentenced the pair based on testimony by four eyewitnesses. All nine heirs of the victim have asked the court to implement the death penalty.

    In 2014, the Maldives repealed a six-decade-old de facto moratorium on the death penalty, ostensibly to tackle a surge in fatal stabbings. Over 30 people have been killed in violent crimes in the past seven years.

    Under the new regulations, individuals as young as seven years of age can be sentenced to death if convicted of willful murder.

    The juvenile court has now sentenced a total of four young men to death for murders committed when they were minors. Two young men convicted of willful murder were also sentenced to death in May 2013.

    The government says capital punishment can only be enforced if all three tiers of the judiciary find the accused to be guilty and if all heirs of the victim request the death penalty. Bisham also said the president is required to review if due process was followed before he enforces the death sentence.

    http://www.shanghaidaily.com/article...aspx?id=281604

  5. #5
    Senior Member CnCP Legend Mike's Avatar
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    Maldives drafts death penalty law

    Maldives announced Monday its ongoing efforts to draft legislation on implementing death penalty.

    Attorney General Mohamed Anil told reporters that the bill being drafted by his office would expand on the already existing regulations on death penalty. The bill would include procedures on conducting murder investigations, filing charges in such cases and conducting proceedings in murder cases, he added.

    “Current regulations only include matters related to the enforcement agencies. But we need blanket legislation that would cover all aspects regarding death penalty, including the role of PG and courts,” the attorney general said, during a press conference at his office in capital Male Monday afternoon.

    The government’s announcement comes a day after Maldives top court issued new guidelines allowing death sentences and public lashing rulings issued by lower courts to be appealed automatically at the High Court.

    In a circular published on its website Sunday, the Supreme Court said if the defendant fails to appeal death sentences and public lashing verdicts within 10 days, the court that had initially issued the verdict should forward the relevant documents to the High Court. The appellate court would have seven days to notify both the defendant and the prosecution of the appeal and during that period should take the necessary steps to begin appeal proceedings, it added.

    The new rules follow similar guidelines issued by the apex court last week.

    Supreme Court issued new guidelines on November 8 giving a month-long window for the last chance to appeal death sentences and public lashings backed by High Court.

    According to the guidelines, if a defendant fails to appeal a High Court verdict in favour of death sentences and public lashing rulings within a 30-day period, the appeal can then only be filed at the Supreme Court by the prosecution.

    The guidelines, included in a circular signed by Chief Justice Abdulla Saeed, did not specifically mention sentences of death and public lashing. However, it says that High Court rulings that need to be reconfirmed by the Supreme Court had to be appealed within 30 days, including public holidays.

    Under local laws, the only sentences that need to be reconfirmed by the Supreme Court are death sentences and public lashing verdicts.

    Judicature Act earlier granted a 90-day period, excluding public holidays, to appeal rulings by any court.

    However, the Supreme Court had in January annulled that clause and issued new guidelines under which rulings issued by lower courts had to be appealed at the High Court within 10 days and appeal over High Court verdicts needed to be filed at the Supreme Court within 60 days.

    Meanwhile, government has included funds in the proposed state budget for next year to establish an execution chamber at the country's main prison to carry out the death penalty.

    The proposed budget for next year, which is currently being reviewed by the parliament, includes MVR4 million to build an execution chamber. However, the correctional service was not immediately available for comment.

    Maldives adopted new regulations last year under which lethal injection would be used to implement the death penalty.

    However, over mounting pressure from human rights bodies, companies have been refusing to supply the fatal dose to countries still carrying out capital punishment.

    Home minister Umar Naseer had earlier said the correctional service would be ready to implement the death penalty by the time a death sentence is upheld by the Supreme Court.

    There are around 10 people on death row at present, but none of whom has exhausted the appeal process thus far.

    http://www.haveeru.com.mv/news/63989

    (With the country going through a government purge over a failed assassination of its president we might see some executions from the country.)
    "There is a point in the history of a society when it becomes so pathologically soft and tender that among other things it sides even with those who harm it, criminals, and does this quite seriously and honestly. Punishing somehow seems unfair to it, and it is certain that imagining ‘punishment’ and ‘being supposed to punish’ hurts it, arouses fear in it." Friedrich Nietzsche

  6. #6
    Moderator Ryan's Avatar
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    Maldives re-introducing death penalty 'biggest mistake', says UN rapporteur

    By Mohamed Visham
    Haveeru Online

    One of the biggest mistakes Maldives can make is to re-introduce the death penalty, a Maldives-born top official at the United Nations said Saturday.

    Dr Ahmed Shaheed on Twitter labelled the move to re-introduce the death penalty after a 60-year moratorium as a big mistake.

    In an earlier Tweet, Shaheed, who serves as the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Situation of Human Rights in Iran, said the decision made by former president Maumoon Abdul Gayoom not to execute the 22 people sentenced to death over the 1988 attempted coup was the "noblest by a Maldivian politician."

    The former Maldivian foreign minister's comments came after High Court late last month annulled the clause giving the president power to grant clemency to convicts on death row.

    The case seeking to annul the clause in the Clemency Act, which gives the president the power to turn death sentences into life imprisonment, was filed privately by a group of individuals.

    The case heard by the five-judge bench of the appellate court was filed in 2012.

    The court ruled that the president cannot grant clemency to convicts on death row in Qisas cases but would be able to exercise the power on other cases involving a death sentence.

    Maldives has also recently adopted a series of new rules and regulations and is currently drafting a law on death penalty.

    The Supreme Court issued new guidelines recently allowing death sentences and public lashing rulings issued by lower courts to be appealed automatically at the High Court.

    In a circular, the Supreme Court said if the defendant fails to appeal death sentences and public lashing verdicts within 10 days, the court that had initially issued the verdict should forward the relevant documents to the High Court. The appellate court would have seven days to notify both the defendant and the prosecution of the appeal and during that period should take the necessary steps to begin appeal proceedings, it added.

    The new rules follow similar guidelines issued by the apex court early last month.

    The Supreme Court issued new guidelines on November 8 giving a month-long window for the last chance to appeal death sentences and public lashings backed by High Court.

    According to the guidelines, if a defendant fails to appeal a High Court verdict in favour of death sentences and public lashing rulings within a 30-day period, the appeal can then only be filed at the Supreme Court by the prosecution.

    The guidelines, included in a circular signed by Chief Justice Abdulla Saeed, did not specifically mention sentences of death and public lashing. However, it says that High Court rulings that need to be reconfirmed by the Supreme Court had to be appealed within 30 days, including public holidays.

    Under local laws, the only sentences that need to be reconfirmed by the Supreme Court are death sentences and public lashing verdicts.

    Judicature Act earlier granted a 90-day period, excluding public holidays, to appeal rulings by any court.

    However, the Supreme Court had in January annulled that clause and issued new guidelines under which rulings issued by lower courts had to be appealed at the High Court within 10 days and appeal over High Court verdicts needed to be filed at the Supreme Court within 60 days.

    Meanwhile, the government has included funds in the state budget for next year to establish an execution chamber at the country's main prison to carry out the death penalty.

    The state budget for next year, which was approved by the parliament last month, includes MVR4 million to build an execution chamber.

    Maldives adopted a new regulation last year under which lethal injection would be used to implement the death penalty.

    However, over mounting pressure from human rights bodies, companies have been refusing to supply the fatal dose to countries still carrying out capital punishment.

    Home minister Umar Naseer had earlier said the correctional service would be ready to implement the death penalty by the time a death sentence is upheld by the Supreme Court.

    Meanwhile, the government announced on November 16 that it was in the process of drafting legislation on implementing death penalty.

    Attorney General Mohamed Anil told reporters that the bill being drafted by his office would expand on the already existing regulations on death penalty. The bill would include procedures on conducting murder investigations, filing charges in such cases and conducting proceedings in murder cases, he added.

    There are around 10 people on death row at present, but none of whom has exhausted the appeal process thus far.

    http://www.haveeru.com.mv/news/64766

  7. #7
    Senior Member CnCP Legend Mike's Avatar
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    Maldives pres says death penalty only way for stability

    Implementing death penalty will only bring stability and harmony to the Maldives, President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom said Saturday.

    At the closing ceremony of the third symposium on training campaign leaders for his re-election, President Yameen said his government’s aim is to bring peace and harmony to the society. That cannot be achieved only through legislation, he added.

    “Why are some people so fond of taking the life of another person? Why should there be space for that? We don’t want that to happen,” the president said, at the ceremony held at the Dharubaaruge convention centre in capital Male.

    The president’s comments follow a series of new rules and regulations adopted by the authorities to implement capital punishment and is currently drafting a law on death penalty.

    High Court had in November annulled the clause giving the president power to grant clemency to convicts on death row.

    The Supreme Court had issued new guidelines recently allowing death sentences and public lashing rulings issued by lower courts to be appealed automatically at the High Court.

    In a circular, the Supreme Court said if the defendant fails to appeal death sentences and public lashing verdicts within 10 days, the court that had initially issued the verdict should forward the relevant documents to the High Court. The appellate court would have seven days to notify both the defendant and the prosecution of the appeal and during that period should take the necessary steps to begin appeal proceedings, it added.

    The new rules follow similar guidelines issued by the apex court in November.

    The Supreme Court issued new guidelines on November 8 giving a month-long window for the last chance to appeal death sentences and public lashings backed by High Court.

    According to the guidelines, if a defendant fails to appeal a High Court verdict in favour of death sentences and public lashing rulings within a 30-day period, the appeal can then only be filed at the Supreme Court by the prosecution.

    The guidelines, included in a circular signed by Chief Justice Abdulla Saeed, did not specifically mention sentences of death and public lashing. However, it says that High Court rulings that need to be reconfirmed by the Supreme Court had to be appealed within 30 days, including public holidays.

    Under local laws, the only sentences that need to be reconfirmed by the Supreme Court are death sentences and public lashing verdicts.

    Judicature Act earlier granted a 90-day period, excluding public holidays, to appeal rulings by any court.

    However, the Supreme Court had in January 2015 annulled that clause and issued new guidelines under which rulings issued by lower courts had to be appealed at the High Court within 10 days and appeal over High Court verdicts needed to be filed at the Supreme Court within 60 days.

    Meanwhile, the government has included funds in the state budget for this year to establish an execution chamber at the country's main prison to carry out the death penalty.

    Government had, meanwhile, adopted a new regulation in 2014 under which lethal injection would be used to implement the death penalty.

    However, over mounting pressure from human rights bodies, companies have been refusing to supply the fatal dose to countries still carrying out capital punishment.

    Home minister Umar Naseer had earlier said the correctional service would be ready to implement the death penalty by the time a death sentence is upheld by the Supreme Court.

    Meanwhile, the government announced on November 16 that it was in the process of drafting legislation on implementing death penalty.

    Attorney General Mohamed Anil told reporters that the bill being drafted by his office would expand on the already existing regulations on death penalty. The bill would include procedures on conducting murder investigations, filing charges in such cases and conducting proceedings in murder cases, he added.

    There are around 10 people on death row at present, but none of whom has exhausted the appeal process thus far.

    http://www.haveeru.com.mv/news/67453
    "There is a point in the history of a society when it becomes so pathologically soft and tender that among other things it sides even with those who harm it, criminals, and does this quite seriously and honestly. Punishing somehow seems unfair to it, and it is certain that imagining ‘punishment’ and ‘being supposed to punish’ hurts it, arouses fear in it." Friedrich Nietzsche

  8. #8
    Senior Member CnCP Legend Mike's Avatar
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    Maldives to have first execution in 60 years in order to showcase ‘Islamic credentials’

    Maldives President Abdulla Yameen is adamant that the first execution of a convict in sixty years will take place under his watch as a reiteration of Maldives’ Islamic credentials.

    The politically isolated president, who is shunned by colleagues and family, is refusing to intervene despite several scholars calling the proposed execution un-Islamic. He has also ignored appeals of human rights groups and even the United Nations to stay the execution.

    Twenty two-year-old Hussain Humaam Ahamed was condemned to death by the Maldives Supreme Court in 2014 for the murder of a Member of Parliament, Afrasheem Ali, in 2012.

    The verdict was based on a confession that was obtained when he was in custody, which he retracted later. The Supreme Court, over which President Yameen has a stranglehold, disregarded the claim that Humaam has a mental disability and the request for an independent psychiatric evaluation.

    If the death sentence is carried out, it will be the first execution in the Maldives since 1953.

    The voices of protest have been crushed in the Maldives due to strict curbs, but renowned Islamic scholar at the University of Oxford, Tariq Ramadan, in a letter to President Yameen, has listed out reasons why the proposed execution is un-Islamic.

    Citing extensively from the Hudud – the Islamic Penal Code, Ramadan has argued that 22-year-old Humaam’s death penalty contravened many basic prescriptions in the Shariah.

    Stating that Humaam’s `confession’ was forcefully obtained, undermining fairness of his trial at a basic level, Ramadan has pointed out that pleas made by Humaam’s family that he was suffering from mental disability, has been totally disregarded by the court.

    This, Ramadan argues, is also against Islamic law and jurisprudence as any doubt about the mental health of a murderer should play in his or her favour.

    The heavy conditions found in the Islamic legislation have as a raison d’etre (`illah) to avoid any doubt; if there is the slightest doubt, then the punishment should be suspended.

    Ramadan also emphasises that it was un-Islamic on the part of President Yameen to ignore requests of the victim’s father and brother, who have stated that they do not wish the death sentence to be implemented.

    Ever since President Yameen reintroduced the death penalty in Maldives, execution facilities have been constructed at the Maldives’ Maafushi Prison.

    http://www.siasat.com/news/maldives-...ials-2-983867/
    "There is a point in the history of a society when it becomes so pathologically soft and tender that among other things it sides even with those who harm it, criminals, and does this quite seriously and honestly. Punishing somehow seems unfair to it, and it is certain that imagining ‘punishment’ and ‘being supposed to punish’ hurts it, arouses fear in it." Friedrich Nietzsche

  9. #9
    Senior Member CnCP Legend CharlesMartel's Avatar
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    Maldives' dark side: Death penalty threatens trouble in paradise

    Holiday firms offering trips to the Maldives have been urged by human rights activists to condemn the expected execution of three men that will bring a brutal end to the country's 60-year moratorium on the death penalty.

    Sir Richard Branson last week described the reported decision by Abdulla Yameen, the Maldivian president, to revive executions as "an awful political move that will send the country back to the Dark Ages of human rights".

    In a blog post, the creator of the Virgin brand threatened to remove his holiday business from the Maldives and urged other tour operators, governments and businesses to follow suit if the executions went ahead.

    "It's been heart-breaking to watch what is happening on the beautiful island nation of the Maldives, a country for which I have long had such great affection and respect," he said,

    Reprieve, the anti-death penalty campaign group, has issued a plea for Kuoni and Thomas Cook, travel companies who operate luxury holidays in the Maldives, to follow Branson's lead and urge President Yameen to halt the executions, believed to be imminent.

    In a letter to the firms, Reprieve claimed that the sentenced men, Hussain Humaam Ahmed, Mohammed Nabeel and Ahmed Murrath, were convicted for murder after "seriously unfair" trials.

    Their deaths would be an "irreparable miscarriage of justice" and would follow a pattern of human rights failings since President Yameen came to power in 2013, they said.

    Of 20 convicts on death row, five were juveniles at the time of their arrest. Reprieve believes that lethal injections have already been found for the first three deaths, while a search is under way for an experienced executioner.

    Maya Foa, Reprieve director, said the executions were "a naked attempt by President Yameen to suppress dissent and tighten his grip on power", calling on him to "start the democratic reforms needed to bring stability back".

    Kuoni said: "We do not condone any abuse of human rights and are naturally concerned when news of this nature is brought to our attention. The people in the Maldives depend on a thriving tourism industry for their livelihood and we believe we bring positive change by supporting them."

    Thomas Cook said: "We believe our influence is best exerted through responsible tourism."

    Tourists see very little of the political turmoil or human rights abuses that have gripped the country in recent years. Last week the British Foreign Office updated its travel advice, urging tourists to avoid large gatherings in the capital, Male, which could turn violent.

    Ibrahim Hussain Shahib, the president's international spokesman, said the government was implementing the law to protect its people.

    "[They] have been charged and convicted of murder in the first degree, their cases were tried at all stages of appeal... due process was followed at all stages. There has been no doubt created in any of these cases as to whether the convicted had carried out the crimes," said Mr Shahib, adding that the constitution did not allow the head of state to grant clemency.

    "This administration will not be deterred by a political opposition who seeks to exploit policies to score points back home and abroad while not even pretending to engage in positive political dialogue."

    In a letter to the firms, Reprieve claimed that the sentenced men, Hussain Humaam Ahmed, Mohammed Nabeel and Ahmed Murrath, were convicted for murder after "seriously unfair" trials.

    Their deaths would be an "irreparable miscarriage of justice" and would follow a pattern of human rights failings since President Yameen came to power in 2013, they said.

    Of 20 convicts on death row, five were juveniles at the time of their arrest. Reprieve believes that lethal injections have already been found for the first three deaths, while a search is under way for an experienced executioner.

    Maya Foa, Reprieve director, said the executions were "a naked attempt by President Yameen to suppress dissent and tighten his grip on power", calling on him to "start the democratic reforms needed to bring stability back".

    Kuoni said: "We do not condone any abuse of human rights and are naturally concerned when news of this nature is brought to our attention. The people in the Maldives depend on a thriving tourism industry for their livelihood and we believe we bring positive change by supporting them."

    Thomas Cook said: "We believe our influence is best exerted through responsible tourism."

    Tourists see very little of the political turmoil or human rights abuses that have gripped the country in recent years. Last week the British Foreign Office updated its travel advice, urging tourists to avoid large gatherings in the capital, Male, which could turn violent.

    Ibrahim Hussain Shahib, the president's international spokesman, said the government was implementing the law to protect its people.

    "[They] have been charged and convicted of murder in the first degree, their cases were tried at all stages of appeal... due process was followed at all stages. There has been no doubt created in any of these cases as to whether the convicted had carried out the crimes," said Mr Shahib, adding that the constitution did not allow the head of state to grant clemency.

    "This administration will not be deterred by a political opposition who seeks to exploit policies to score points back home and abroad while not even pretending to engage in positive political dialogue."

    In a letter to the firms, Reprieve claimed that the sentenced men, Hussain Humaam Ahmed, Mohammed Nabeel and Ahmed Murrath, were convicted for murder after "seriously unfair" trials.

    Their deaths would be an "irreparable miscarriage of justice" and would follow a pattern of human rights failings since President Yameen came to power in 2013, they said.

    Of 20 convicts on death row, five were juveniles at the time of their arrest. Reprieve believes that lethal injections have already been found for the first three deaths, while a search is under way for an experienced executioner.

    Maya Foa, Reprieve director, said the executions were "a naked attempt by President Yameen to suppress dissent and tighten his grip on power", calling on him to "start the democratic reforms needed to bring stability back".

    Kuoni said: "We do not condone any abuse of human rights and are naturally concerned when news of this nature is brought to our attention. The people in the Maldives depend on a thriving tourism industry for their livelihood and we believe we bring positive change by supporting them."

    Thomas Cook said: "We believe our influence is best exerted through responsible tourism."

    Tourists see very little of the political turmoil or human rights abuses that have gripped the country in recent years. Last week the British Foreign Office updated its travel advice, urging tourists to avoid large gatherings in the capital, Male, which could turn violent.

    Ibrahim Hussain Shahib, the president's international spokesman, said the government was implementing the law to protect its people.

    "[They] have been charged and convicted of murder in the first degree, their cases were tried at all stages of appeal... due process was followed at all stages. There has been no doubt created in any of these cases as to whether the convicted had carried out the crimes," said Mr Shahib, adding that the constitution did not allow the head of state to grant clemency.

    "This administration will not be deterred by a political opposition who seeks to exploit policies to score points back home and abroad while not even pretending to engage in positive political dialogue."

    https://www.stuff.co.nz/travel/news/...le-in-paradise

  10. #10
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    Maldives to restore death penalty after 60 years: Official

    The death penalty by hanging will not be carried out in public, with the government constructing a special execution chamber for the executions

    By Reuters

    Despite international pressure the Maldives will reintroduce the death penalty after a 60-year moratorium to try and reduce the rising number of murders and stop drug trafficking, a senior advisor to President Abdulla Yameen said on Tuesday.

    The United Nations and Amnesty International have urged the government not to reintroduce the death penalty by hanging, citing concerns whether some inmates facing the death penalty had had fair trials.

    “It is to be used as a deterrent,” Mohamed Hussain Shareef, a senior advisor to Yameen and head of foreign relations of the ruling Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) told Reuters in an interview in Colombo.

    “At the moment, overwhelmingly the people of Maldives are in support for implementation. It is a difficult decision for any government. But as a government, you have to safeguard the lives of innocent people.”

    He said there had been more than 50 murders reported in Maldives during the last decade.

    The United Nations has said 20 prisoners, including at least five juvenile offenders, had been sentenced to death, and three men convicted of murder were at imminent risk of execution, despite concerns over whether they had had fair trials.

    Shareef said the three convicted murderers would face capital punishment “soon” and the victims’ families are being now given an option to consider if the convicts could be forgiven according to Islamic Sharia law.

    The hangings will not be carried out in public, Shareef said, with the government constructing a special execution chamber on Maafushi island where the country’s main prison is located from 27 km (16 miles) from capital Male.

    A UN human rights expert early this month said the Maldives will make a big mistake if it reinstates the death penalty, while Amnesty International has said the executions are a ploy by the government to distract attention from its own problems and ensure its political survival.

    The largely Muslim island chain, which has a population of 400,000, has a reputation as a tourist paradise, but it has been mired in political unrest since Mohamed Nasheed, its first democratically-elected president, was ousted in 2012.

    The opposition is trying to unseat Speaker Abdulla Maseeh Mohamed, alleging President Yameen’s administration is trying to cover up corruption, including money laundering. The government has denied the accusations.

    http://www.hindustantimes.com/world-...NUGSGUU7O.html
    "I realize this may sound harsh, but as a father and former lawman, I really don't care if it's by lethal injection, by the electric chair, firing squad, hanging, the guillotine or being fed to the lions."
    - Oklahoma Rep. Mike Christian

    "There are some people who just do not deserve to live,"
    - Rev. Richard Hawke

    “There are lots of extremely smug and self-satisfied people in what would be deemed lower down in society, who also deserve to be pulled up. In a proper free society, you should be allowed to make jokes about absolutely anything.”
    - Rowan Atkinson

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