Hearings in Yameen Rasheed's murder trial to conclude in November

The Criminal Court held a hearing on Tuesday in the trial into the death of blogger and human rights activist, Yameen Rasheed.

Yameen Rasheed was stabbed to death in the early hours on 23rd April 2017, in an attack that shook the nation. His body was found in the staircase of his home, with over 30 stab wounds. While his attackers were caught on CCTV footage, police had said that they had been "in disguise".

The state charged six individuals with first-degree murder over Yameen's death on 30th July 2017; Ismail Haisham Rasheed, Hussain Ziyad, Ismail Rasheed, Hassan Shifaz, Mohamed Dhifran, and Ahmed Zihan Ismail.

While hearings in the case have been halted due to Covid-19 and with a request to proceed inside the courtroom, presiding Judge Adam Mohamed announced a scheduled for the upcoming months on Tuesday with the trial set to conclude in November.

As such, defence witnesses statements will be heard at the hearing scheduled for September 16 while Yameen's heirs are to make official statements at court on October 14. Further, a hearing scheduled for November 18 will be the final hearing where both the prosecution and defence will deliver their closing statements; a verdict hearing will be scheduled after.

The presidential commission on enforced disappearances and murders back in December 2018 revealed that investigations showed links between Yameen’s murder and two other high-profile murders; 2012 murder of lawmaker Dr. Afrasheem Ali and 2014 disappearance and murder of journalist Ahmed Rilwan.

While Yameen had received multiple death threats prior to the fatal attack, they were reported to authorities but to no avail. Hence, his family has accused police of negligence.