Maldives' decision to resume executions "a transparent ploy by the government to distract attention from its own woes"

Maldives government's decision to resume executions is "a transparent ploy by the government to distract attention from its own woes," says Amnesty International's South Asia director Biraj Patnaik.

In a statement issued last week, Amnesty expressed concern over "the fairness of the proceedings that lead to the imposition of the death penalty in the country," including that of Hussain Humaam, who claims that he was coerced into a confession by authorities.

Noting that the country's Home Minister has announced that the executions will resume in a few days, Amnesty said that the resumption of executions after 60 years is "a transparent ploy by the government to distract attention from its own woes," adding that "it is alarming that they would think of depriving people of their right to life just to ensure their own political survival".

"When lives are at stake, it is all the more critical that safeguards of due process are strictly observed. People's lives are too precious to be ended with cruel haste. The Maldives still has time to turn back, consolidate its positive record on the death penalty, and impose a full moratorium on its implementation as first step," said Patnaik in the statement.

Amnesty's South Asia Director highlighted that Maldives has "led the way in the region by shunning cruel and irreversible punishment" for more than sixty years, adding that "the country risks being on the wrong side of history and earning global notoriety".

While a date is yet to be set for any executions, there are currently 18 death row prisoners in the Maldives, and three- Humaam, Ahmed Murrath and Mohamed Nabeel- have exhausted all domestic legal avenues.

"The Maldives has undertaken a binding commitment to cooperate with the Human Rights Committee- should the government go ahead with the executions, it would violate Maldives' obligations under international law, including to protect the three men's right to life," reads the statement.

In addition, UN Special rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions Agnes Callamard has said that the resumption of executions in Maldives "would be a great setback for the country and entire region," adding that implementing the death penalty "after flawed trials would constitute arbitrary executions in clear violation of international law".

The government has been on the fast track to resume executions in the country, with Home Minister Azleen Ahmed revealing that the delay to do so was as there "are many aspects that have to be addressed" due to the 60-year hiatus and that there.