Yameen Rasheed's murder suspect to file appeal in Supreme Court

Family of Ismail Rasheed, one of the three individuals named by police to have been involved in the murder of writer Yameen Rasheed, has decided to appeal his arrest and detention at the Supreme Court.

The family's decision to take the case to Supreme Court comes after the High Court, on June 15, upheld the Criminal Court's ruling to remand him.

The 25-year-old's family claims that he was named as a suspect because he had "refused to give false testimonies against the other two suspects".

On Sunday, police publicized photos of three individuals, saying that the three had 'actively' participated in Yameen's killing on April 23. The other two suspects named by police are; Ismail Haisham Rasheed, 21; and Ahmed Zihan Ismail, 22.

Noting that the police, in their statement, said that all three had previous criminal records- that Ismail was involved in a gang violence- his family said that this "is false". They said that he had acted to defend his younger sibling when he was under 18, but that he has never been involved in such a thing ever since.

Ismail Rasheed's family also noted that he was arrested days after Yameen's murder, on May 8, adding that police had on April 25 said that the culprits had been identified.

The family also noted that during the beginning of his detention, Ismail was taken into the investigation team's room, and allowed to sleep there as well. The family also pointed out that the investigation team had met with family members, giving out various conditions, including officers proposing a meeting between his parents and the head of the investigation team.

The family said then when they declined to change Ismail's defense lawyer on May 17, that police had allegedly threatened them by saying 'then the person inside the circle maybe removed and Ismail Rasheed might go in to the circle'.

Police have refuted Ismail Rasheed’s family’s claims.