Maldivian President Abdulla Yameen

MADIVES: PRESIDENT YAMEEN, GOVERMENT WILL ENFORCE DEATH PENALTY

March 13, 2014: the Government formulated the new regulations specifying procedures for enforcing the death penalty. President Abdulla Yameen has reiterated that the Progressive Party of Maldives-led (PPM) coalition government will implement the death penalty despite international pressure.
Speaking at a campaign event for PPM MP Ahmed Mahloof in Malé, President Yameen said his administration’s decision to enforce the death penalty was a “historic day” in the Maldives’ democracy.
“Enforcing the death penalty is not something I will do because I want to. This is a very difficult thing. This is not an easy thing to do for any President or [public] servant. But our society cannot bear the loss of a life as well as the opportunity for further loss of life as a result of not respecting [the value of a human life],” he said. “For that reason, no matter how much I don’t want to do it or how difficult it is, I have to do this on behalf of the rights of the people as they have placed that trust in me.”
At the final stage, the Supreme Court decides whether capital punishment was warranted as qisas (retaliation), in accordance with Islamic Sharia following due process through the courts. Under the new regulations implementing capital punishment, both the victim’s and the convict’s family would be consulted after the Supreme Court decision to see whether the former demanded the death penalty and not blood money as retaliation.
The last person to be executed in the Maldives after receiving a death sentence was in 1953 during the first republic of President Mohamed Ameen. Hakim Didi was charged with attempting to assassinate President Ameen using black magic.
The Maldives currently has 20 prisoners sentenced to death by the Criminal Court. (Sources: Minivan News, 14/03/2014; Hands Off Cain, 17/03/2014)